National Blood Donor Week – Give the gift of life: donate blood!

Montréal, June 10, 2013 – Héma-Québec makes the most of National Blood Donor Week, which starts today and runs until June 16, to remind the public about how important giving blood is in the lives of thousands of people.

Decreed by the Canadian parliament in 2008, this week provides an opportunity to thank blood donors, as well as the 16,000 volunteers who save lives with their essential commitment.

This week coincides with World Blood Donor Day, June 14, which is an initiative of the World Health Organization that is highlighted in 80 countries under the theme Give the gift of life: donate blood!

United for life

This awareness-raising campaign takes place a few days after the unveiling of a new blood donation promotion campaign. This campaign highlights pairs of celebrities, each of whom is very popular in their respective fields. This year, the United for life campaign highlights Céline Dion and orchestra conductor Kent Nagano, Dominique Michel, actress, and Sugar Sammy, humorist, as well as Pierre Bruneau and Mutsumi Takahashi, anchors at TVA and CTV, respectively.

The first two duos will be visible throughout the summer on roadside billboards and bus shelters, as well as through the advertising networks of the public transportation networks and on Héma-Québec blood drive sites and vehicles. The duos formed by Dominique Michel and Sugar Sammy and by Pierre Bruneau and Mutsumi Takahashi have also agreed to take part in the radio advertising campaign that will be deployed as a complement.

To learn more about blood

From June 14 to June 16, at Montréal’s Old Port, visitors to the Festival Eurêka! will have an opportunity to learn more about blood and blood types, at the information stand operated by the Association of Blood Donation Volunteers.

For information about upcoming blood drives, visit Héma-Québec’s web site at http://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca or call the blood drive line at 1 800 343-SANG (7264). You can also send an email to info@hema-quebec.qc.ca or contact us through our Facebook page or our Twitter account.

Some facts about blood donation

  • In Québec, any healthy individual, 18 or older, who satisfies the eligibility criteria can give blood every 56 days, namely six times per year.
  • At least 1,000 blood donations are needed every day.
  • In Québec, a person needs blood every 80 seconds.
  • Héma-Québec distributes more than half a million blood products every year.
  • More than 300,000 people give blood every year in Québec.

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

www.hema-quebec.qc.ca

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