Did you know?
In Canada, a patient needs blood every minute of every day. In the U.S., five million patients will need blood this year.
Impark’s director of customer service, Barb Mount, realized there’s power in numbers when it comes to blood donation.
Already a champion of blood donation herself, Barb has coordinated group blood drives for Impark’s Vancouver employees for the past seven years, representing over 300 units of blood collected from members of multiple Impark subsidiaries and departments.
“I was inspired by a former co-worker and blood-drive organizer who has donated blood and platelets more than 500 times,” Barb explains. “As he says, ‘an hour of your time can mean a lifetime to a recipient!’”
Barb — who recently made her 100th blood donation — partners with Canadian Blood Services to set an annual donation goal and then schedules quarterly group blood drivers timed to the minimum required days between donations. Collectively, Impark employees in Vancouver have generously donated up to 50 units every year, often surpassing their annual pledge.
“It’s amazing that in under an hour, you can literally save the life of someone in need, whether it’s a child, a parent, a burn victim or someone fighting cancer. We all want to feel proud of our contributions to our community and giving blood with the moral support of your teammates makes the experience even more rewarding.“
Barb’s Guide to Organizing a Blood Drive
(Remember: Donating blood is a personal choice and some people will be unable to take part.)
- Assign a branch or regional coordinator.
- Connect with your local blood donation agency.
- In Canada: Canadian Blood Services blood.ca
- In the U.S.: American Red Cross: redcrossblood.org
- Set a pledge or goal for your office or region. This will act as a great motivator!
- Publicize the drive via email and/or posters. This will help reduce fear by explaining what’s involved. Be sure to include links and resources in case anyone has specific medical questions. People who have personal or confidential questions about eligibility should be referred to your blood donation agency.
- Barb’s top tip: “Setting reminders in your calendar to notify the team of upcoming blood drives and using technology like Doodle Poll so donors can quickly and easily pick appointments makes organizing blood drives nearly effortless!”
- Send out a reminder. Confirm donor appointments prior to the blood drive. Follow up with your donation representative at the blood donation agency to confirm the donor list and any last minute details.
Written by Neera Dhingra, an Impark HR Coordinator based in Vancouver.