National awards honour six extraordinary contributors to Canada’s Lifeline

This year’s honourees include two recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as recipients of the Living Organ Donor Award, the National Partnership Award, the Logan Boulet Award and the Schilly Award. 

“Our national awards celebrate the exceptional dedication, generosity, and impact of individuals and partners who strengthen Canada’s Lifeline,” says Dr. Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services. 

“Their contributions inspire others to join the critical work of saving lives across the country.”

Honourees and their achievements 

• The Schilly Award: Presented to Maralee Caruso for her outstanding contributions to recruiting blood and plasma donors and stem cell registrants through her annual Hero in You campaign, created in memory of her mother. 

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Dean Fergusson was honoured for his extraordinary contributions to clinical research, including optimizing the use of blood in transfusion medicine and studying the impact of donor age and gender on transfusion outcomes. 

• Living Organ Donor Award: Moira Korus was recognized for donating her kidney anonymously following a 35-year nursing career, with 27 years spent in nephrology and transplant coordination. Her act of generosity has inspired awareness and support for living organ donation in Canada. 

• National Partnership Award: The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario was acknowledged for hosting an inspiring mural on their building and increasing employee engagement in Canadian Blood Services’ Partners for Life program. 

• Logan Boulet Award: Presented to the NoahStrong foundation for their exceptional efforts to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation. The foundation honours the legacy of their son Noah by encouraging others to register as donors and giving patients a second chance at life. 

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Theodore E. Warkentin was recognized as a leading expert in transfusion medicine, specializing in blood clotting disorders and rare conditions. Now retired, Dr. Warkentin continues to contribute through research, teaching and patient care. 

These honourees embody the spirit of community that drives our vision: to help every patient, match every need, and serve every Canadian.

Dr. Graham Sher

The 2024 national awards continue Canadian Blood Services’ annual tradition of celebrating exceptional contributors to the transfusion and transplantation system and sharing their inspiring stories.

For more information about our national awards program please visit: blood.ca/nationalawards.