This March, during Irish Heritage Month, Irish in BC is partnering with the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce in organizing an Irish Community Blood Drive. Irish people recently became eligible to donate blood in Canada and we want to raise awareness while encouraging more people to join the Irish in BC team to donate.
Blood donation is one of the simplest ways to make an immediate difference in the community where we live. In less than an hour, a single donation can help save up to three lives. Because blood only lasts 42 days, the need is constant – Canada requires one million new donors over the next five years to keep up with the aging and growing population. For leukemia patients, that can mean needing up to 8 donors each week; for trauma victims, dozens of donors may be required.
How to take part
You can donate at any time and at any donor centre during March—every donation counts toward our Irish community effort for a hundred donations by the end of March. See instructions to sign up below.
Raffle Entry
As a thank-you, everyone who donates between now and the end of March will be entered into a raffle at the end of the month if they join the irish account below, with prizes generously donated by Irish & local Vancouver businesses. Separate to this, anyone who donates blood before March 31st can enter Canadian Blood Services’ competition to win 2 roundtrip tickets with Air Canada! Those who have joined the Irish in BC team already and who have donated since January 1, 2026 will automatically be included in the raffle.
To help make it easier, we have also pre-booked group time slots at two Vancouver donor centres:
Oak Street Donor Centre
4750 Oak Street, Vancouver
- Wed, Mar 4 | 5:00–5:20 pm (8 slots)
- Wed, Mar 11 | 5:15–5:55 pm (10 slots)
- Wed, Mar 18 | 5:10–5:45 pm (10 slots)
- Wed, Mar 25 | 5:10–5:45 pm (10 slots)
- Sat, Mar 7 | 11:10–11:50 am (10 slots)
- Sat, Mar 14 | 10:05–10:35 am (10 slots)
- Sat, Mar 21 | 10:00–10:35 am (10 slots)
- Sat, Mar 28 | 10:20–10:55 am (10 slots)
Downtown Donor Centre
888 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
- Tue, Mar 3 | 12:00–12:35 pm (6 slots)
- Tue, Mar 10 | 12:00–12:55 pm (8 slots)
- Tue, Mar 17 | 12:00–12:45 pm (8 slots)
- Tue, Mar 24 | 12:00–12:30 pm (8 slots)
- Tue, Mar 31 | 12:00–12:40 pm (8 slots)
- Thu, Mar 5 | 1:00–1:40 pm (8 slots)
- Thu, Mar 12 | 1:00–1:30 pm (8 slots)
- Thu, Mar 19 | 1:00–1:30 pm (8 slots)
- Thu, Mar 26 | 1:00–1:30 pm (8 slots)
Call to action:
Please consider booking a donation between now and March 31st – either in one of the time slots above or at a time that suits you. It’s a small commitment with a lasting impact, and a meaningful way for our community to give back.
Here are the simple instructions to sign up with. Donors can join the Irish in BC team and book their donation using the link below:
Step 1: Click on this link or scan the QR code to join your team and reserve an appointment: https://myaccount.blood.ca/en/join-team/IRIS0126497. You’ll be asked to either sign up for an account or sign in. If you’re not prompted to join the team after signing up/in, please click on the link again or scan the QR code again (attached).
Step 2: Select “Yes” to have your name and email shared with champion. Then, link “Join”.
Step 3: You will be taken to the “My Teams” page with your team’s name listed. Click on the green “View Team” button.
Step 4: To reserve an appointment slot, scroll down until you see “Team appointments”. Click on “Book”.
Step 5: Select a time that works for you.
Step 6: Confirm your appointment by clicking “Book now”.
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