National Volunteer Week: at Héma-Québec, volunteers make all the difference!

Montréal, April 16, 2012 – National Volunteer Week continues until April 21, under the theme Your presence makes a difference, providing an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of the men and women who make it possible to donate blood, stem cells and human tissues.

The strength of Héma-Québec is built on the compassion of thousands of blood donors, as well as those who generously join the Stem Cell Donor Registry or contribute to the Public Cord Blood Bank. The organization also draws on the courage of those who give their consent to donate human tissues so that others might live. In every case, the goodness of volunteer donors makes all the difference in restoring health and hope to those suffering from an illness or accident. Since the gift of life is voluntary in Québec, we all depend on the selflessness of individuals who are ready to help others for no pay or personal gain other than a sense of pride in giving the gift of life.

Well-known for its blood drives, Héma-Québec also comprises a network of 16,000 volunteers throughout the province whose efforts are essential in maintaining the collective blood supply at an optimal level. By supporting some 3,000 blood drives organized each year and making 1.3 million calls to donors, thousands of Quebeckers are actively involved in ensuring that this public resource is able to meet the needs of hospitals day after day. In addition, 39,000 people have signed up for the Stem Cell Donor Registry and another 400,000 have joined the Organ and Tissue Donation Consent Registry.

“Every blood, stem cells and human tissue donation represents a gift of life made possible through the dedication of volunteer donors and blood drive volunteers who take the well-being of their fellow citizens to heart. Despite advances in science, these donations remain vital and irreplaceable. We need to let these partners know how much they are appreciated! Furthermore, nothing is more important to the success of our organization than their deep commitment to sharing and their motivation to help others,” notes Dr. Jean De Serres, President and CEO of Héma-Québec.

As a tribute to the generosity of volunteers, messages of appreciation will be posted for donors to read at blood drive sites throughout the week. In addition, two recognition ceremonies are being organized by Héma-Québec, one in Montréal today, April 16, and the other in Québec City on Thursday, April 19. More than 1,000 volunteers are expected to attend. Regional partners are not being forgotten as they will be honoured this fall when Héma-Québec holds its traditional regional public meetings.

Héma-Québec is always looking for new volunteers. To learn more, visit the Get involved section on Héma-Québec’s website at www.hema-quebec.qc.ca, or call (514) 832-5000, extension 162, for Montréal and Western Québec or (418) 780-4362, extension 2245, for Québec City and the eastern part of the province.

About Héma-Québec 

Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, optimal blood components, substitutes, human tissues and cord blood to meet the needs of all Quebecers; to provide and develop expertise along with specialized and innovative services and products in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.

Give blood. Give life.

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Information:     

Héma-Québec
Media Line | 514-832-0871

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