Although we are getting into the holiday season, the need for blood donations doesn't take a break.
Shamus Neeson, the Community Development Manager for Red Deer and area, says it's a very busy time of the year.
"We've got a very long and loyal list of donors that come to the Red Deer Donor Center during the year. But as we all know, when the holidays come, things kind of stop. That need for blood never takes a holiday off, so we're encouraging people that if you're available this holiday season, we can definitely use you."
One of the unique ways to get more donors during this time of the year is a special gift-wrapping promotion that is back. If you bring in your Christmas presents during clinic hours, December 18th to 24th, one of the staff will wrap them for you while you are donating blood.
Neeson talks about the number of appointments needed during this season.
"From December 20th To January 4th at the Red Deer Clinic, we need 421 appointments. That number is needed just to keep up with hospital demand. Like we were saying, the need for blood doesn't take a holiday, but we find that the amount of people that come in to donate blood around the holidays takes a bit of a hit."
Neeson also talks about a new campaign for Canadian Blood Services.
"Right now we've got a campaign that's going across Canada called the 450 campaign. We need 450 new donors every day in Canada just to keep up with holiday demands and hospital demands. But when you look at what we require in Red Deer, we just need 10. So if we can get our hands on 10 people every day, that have never donated blood, we could do our part and help those hospital patients get the blood that they need."
The Red Deer Canadian Blood Services office (#5 5020 68 St) will be open special hours during the holidays and will take walk-in donations.
Their holiday hours are:
December 24th-9 am -2 pm
December 25th-Closed
December 26th-2 pm-7 pm
December 27th-9 am -2 pm
December 28th-9 am -2 pm
December 31st-Closed
January 1st-2 pm-7 pm