National Blood Donor Week

 

Montréal, June 13, 2011 – This National Blood Donor Week, Héma-Québec will be paying tribute to the many supporters of the cause whose generosity saves lives.

 

“In Québec, 1,000 blood donations are required every day to meet the health needs of hospital patients. The support and commitment of donors, volunteers and partners is critical in meeting the constant challenge. During this special week, we want to emphasize the essential contribution of thousands of women and men to this vital cause,” explains Héma-Québec President and CEO, Dr. Jean De Serres.

 

The fourth edition of National Blood Donor Week, from June 13 to 19, will begin with the launch of a series of new radio messages and an ad campaign featuring the generous participation of three well known and popular Québec personalities.

 

Actor Julie Perreault, stand-up comedian Rachid Badouri, and author and actor Louis Morrissette are spending their summer as ambassadors for the cause of blood donation. Starting today, you will see them on billboards and bus shelters. They will also be featured in a display campaign at blood donation sites and on Héma-Québec vehicles.

 

Starting this week, anyone who is enthusiastic about the cause of blood donation can show their support by displaying a virtual pin on their Facebook page by visiting www.friendforlife.ca.

 

There will also be local initiatives to mark a week that is all about blood donation. As part of the Eureka Festival, from June 17 to 19 the Association of Blood Donation Volunteers will host an information booth at the Quays of the Old Port in Montréal, where passersby will be invited to learn more about blood. On June 15, the Héma-Québec Foundation and partners RBC and Couche-Tard will officially unveil a completely new state-of-the-art mobile unit at a ceremony in Saint-Laurent.

 

In 2008, the federal government passed a bill recognizing National Blood Donor Week. It coincides with World Blood Donor Day, an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) observed on June 14 by more than 80 countries around the world. Héma-Québec will also respond to WHO’s call to “paint the world red” by symbolically lighting its building façade in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montréal in red for the entire week.