The York community donated 264 units of blood during last week’s Canadian Blood Services March blood drive. A total of 381 donors attended the week-long clinic, which ran from March 10 to 14 on York's Keele campus. Hosted by York’s Health Education & Promotion unit, the blood collected during the clinic will likely help more than 700 people in the Greater Toronto Area. On average, one unit of blood helps three people.
Canadian Blood Services will be back on campus this summer for its next clinic, which is scheduled for July 15 to 17.
Blood donations save lives. At present, Canadian Blood Services estimates that only 3.5 per cent of eligible Canadians give blood. Patients in the GTA use at least 650 to 700 units of blood each day. Cancer patients use an average of eight units of blood products each week during the course of their treatment.
For more information on how to become a donor, or to schedule an opportunity to donate during one of the many blood donor clinics throughout the community, visit the Canadian Blood Services Web site or call 1-888-2-DONATE.
Health Education & Promotion is located within the Centre for Student Community and Leadership Development. For more information about other health-related events taking place on campus, visit the Health Education & Promotion Web site.