Student group promotes blood drive

Twenty-five Mount Allison students and staff donated blood in a Canadian Blood Services drive, supported by Mount Allison Health Care Outreach. The donations accounted for half of the group’s goal for the semester.

The blood drive was Sept. 22 and accepted donors from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Tantramar Regional High School. The drive would usually take place at the civic centre, but polling stations for the provincial election forced a change of location.

Health Care Outreach began this blood drive event a few years ago as a part of the Partners for Life Campaign. This campaign meant that the local Health Care Outreach would pledge fifty donations annually, a number chosen by the local members.

“Since we started the Partners for Life campaign, we have exceeded our donation goal each year,” said Jennifer Connolly, who headed the group’s promotion for the blood drive.

The week before this year’s first blood drive, the group had Canadian Blood Services come to Mt. A to perform a blood typing event at the Student Centre.

“This is where students can find out what blood type they are, and is a great way of promoting,” Connolly said.

Advertising for the event also included flyers, a poster near the stairway of the student centre, and a Facebook event.

“Our goal as Health Care Outreach is to let as many student and staff as possible know about the blood drives,” Connolly said.

Health Care Outreach plans to have another blood drive next semester to hopefully exceed its annual goal, and is planning to expand promotion for future events.

“The idea of making this a residence competition has been mentioned,” Connolly said.

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