MONTRÉAL, June 9, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Héma-Québec is taking advantage of National Blood Donor Week, on now until June 15, to remind everyone of the importance of giving blood.
Officially recognized by the federal government in 2008, National Blood Donor Week is a chance to thank blood donors and all those whose ongoing commitment to the cause are helping to save lives. This week coincides with World Blood Donor Day, which is marked on June 14 in more than 80 countries.
"National Blood Donor Week is the ideal opportunity to draw attention to this important cause. Blood-related needs are changing, and so is Héma-Québec's role. The contributions of donors and volunteers nevertheless remain vital, and we are grateful to them for their unwavering dedication," said Dr. Jean De Serres, President and Chief Executive Officer of Héma-Québec.
United for Life
This special awareness week kicks off today with the unveiling of a new campaign to encourage people to give blood. It features several pairs of well-known and much-loved personalities from different backgrounds. This year, United for Life will match up the likes of soprano Marie-Josée Lord and rocker Jonas, singer-songwriter Marie-Mai and singer-songwriter Michel Rivard, and Montréal mayor Denis Coderre and his Québec City counterpart, Régis Labeaume.
Throughout the summer, the twosomes will appear in signs and billboards located near the GLOBULE Blood Donor Centres, along major roads and highways, in a variety of transit media, at blood donor clinics and on Héma-Québec vehicles. Marie-Josée Lord & Jonas and Marie-Mai & Michel Rivard have also agreed to lend their voices to the accompanying radio campaign, which was launched on Saturday. In addition, banners and displays will be set up at the GLOBULE centres, the Plasma Donor Lounge, PLASMAVIE and blood drives to welcome and thank donors who, every day, share the most precious gift of all: the gift of health.
Learn more about giving blood
To find out more about upcoming blood drives, go to the Héma-Québec website at http://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca, send an email to [email protected] or get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter.
Some blood donation facts
- In Québec, any healthy individual aged 18 or older who meets Héma-Québec's eligibility criteria can give blood every 56 days, or six times a year.
- At least 1,000 blood donations are required on a daily basis.
- Every 80 seconds, someone in Québec needs blood.
- Héma-Québec distributes more than half a million blood products a year.
- In 2013, Héma-Québec welcomed 156,000 donors at its mobile blood drives, GLOBULE Blood Donor Centres or PLASMAVIE Plasma Donor Lounge.
About Héma-Québec
Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, optimal blood components, substitutes, human tissues and cord blood to meet the needs of all Quebecers; to provide and develop expertise along with specialized and innovative services and products in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.
Héma-Québec encompasses 1,300 employees, over 300,000 donor visits to blood drives per year, 16,000 volunteers and more than 500,000 blood products delivered annually to Québec hospitals to meet the needs of patients.
Give blood. Give life.
SOURCE: Héma-Québec
Media line, 514 832-0871, www.hema-quebec.qc.ca
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