Canadian Blood Services is putting out a call this Thanksgiving weekend for people to come out and donate.
On Saturday, approximately 40 per cent of the 94 appointments booked at the Bayers Road clinic in Halifax were no-shows.
Alan Massey, who has been donating since his last year of high school in 1979, honoured his appointment as he closes in on a milestone.
“I’m working up my way gradually over the years and today was my 99th donation,” he told Global News. “One more to go to my 100th.”
The number of donations hits peaks and valleys, but the organization is hoping to get ahead of the curve.
“Now, we’ve seemed to taper off and we’re seeing the trend go back down again, so we’re asking people again to please come out and donate,” she says.
Many people have personal reasons for why they want to help, even during a long weekend.
“Close to home, recently, my sister just had surgery,” says Lauren McNutt, “So it’s things like that, that remind you why you should be donating blood.”
Bev Masterman also started for family reasons back in 2005 and showed.
“My father-in-law had got diagnosed and then passed away from pancreatic cancer and it was just something that made me think this is something so easy for me to do.”
She’s encouraging everyone to help if they’re able to.
“It takes so little time and it can make such a huge difference in people’s lives,” she says. “And it costs you nothing.”
On Monday, there are 50 vacant appointments at the Halifax clinic.
“The need is constant,” Gracie says. “We always say ‘every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood.’ That’s not a slogan. That’s a fact.”
“We’re seeing more cancer patients coming up, we’re seeing the need always increasing.”
An appointment is required to donate. While the call is out specifically for this weekend, Canadian Blood Services says they need people to show up even when they don’t ask.
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