THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!
As most of you know, Irish in BC partnered with the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC Van) to encourage Irish community members to sign up for the Irish in BC Partners for Life team and donate blood during Irish Heritage Month. The team was set up this time last April just before the Lapu Lapu tragedy. In response, the Irish community stepped up and donated to support those affected by the tragedy.
However, the reality is that there is always need for blood donations – for surgeries and emergencies, cancer treatments, premature babies, blood disorders and diseases, and burn victims. While 50% of Canadians will need blood or know someone who does, less than 2% of eligible Canadians donate blood and plasma, despite 1 in 2 people being eligible. Because of these facts, we made the decision to hold a blood drive in March to make the community aware of the ongoing need for blood and plasma.
We set a very ambitious goal for our first Irish Heritage Month blood drive and while we did not quite hit the goal, we did increase our team by 51 members and made 52 donations, which will save up to 156 lives. We are very proud of this contribution and encourage as many community members to continue to sign up for the team and donate throughout the year.
Thank you to Form Smart Swim Goggles, IRL Group Hospitality, Cusp of Change Coaching and the African Breese who generously donated prizes for a draw for donors.
The winners are:
Padraic M / Form Smart Swim Goggles
Andrew K / Shamrock Storehouse gift voucher
Emma Q / Cusp of Change Coaching premium coaching package
Natasha M / African Breese gift voucher to any of their stores
If you wish to sign up for the team, go to this link. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email Eilis Courtney (irishinbc@gmail.com) or Alan Bradley (alanb@icccvan.com).
Thank you! Go raibh mile mhaith agaibh!
