Remember to donate blood all year

Canadians invited to donate to honour our soldiers

November 11, 2014 (Ottawa) –  Canadian Blood Services is reminding eligible donors that they can pay tribute to the men and women who have served, or are currently serving our country by remembering to donate blood throughout the year.

Remembrance Day is a time to honour the contributions and sacrifices of the brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces. While many have given their lives over the years, Canadians can give back all year, by helping to save lives and encouraging friends and family to do the same.

Since becoming one of Canadian Blood Services’ valued partners, service men and women with the Department of National Defence alone have contributed nearly 30,000 blood donations to our national blood supply.

Canadian Blood Services and the Canadian military have a significant, historic link that dates back to World War II. Approximately 890,000 blood donations were collected from Canadian donors for military hospitals during the last year of the war. The response was so generous that Canada’s voluntary blood system was born.

Today the partnership between the Department of National Defence and Canadian Blood Services continues. In 2006, the Department of National Defence became a Canadian Blood Services’ Partner for Life – a program where organizations pledge a group blood donation goal and give blood as a team each year to help save more lives.

In addition to helping to save the lives of Canadian patients, by making a commitment to regularly donate blood you could also be helping improve or save the life of a Canadian Forces member here or abroad. To book an appointment, download the GiveBlood app, visit blood.ca or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236 6283).