Queen’s joins 100+ campuses in inaugural Fall Get Together campaign for Canadian Blood Services

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

Queen’s University has joined Canadian Blood Services’ first-ever Fall Get Together campaign, a nationwide challenge uniting 106 colleges and universities to help Canada reach their goal of one million new blood and plasma donors in the next five years.

Between now and Dec. 31, students are encouraged to Give Together by booking group donation appointments and competing for the highest university Donor Point Average.

Debbi Barfoot with Canadian Blood Services says the initiative celebrates the power of collective giving.

“More than a third of Canadians under the age of 35 who have donated blood before have done so as part of a group,” Barfoot noted in an interview with CFRC. “It’s a cool way to get together and understand that you are really giving back to fellow Canadians.”

With Queen’s having a long history of student donors through the Queen’s University Blood Team, Barfoot says the campaign is a great opportunity to build on that tradition. 

The next on-campus blood drive takes place Monday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Biosciences Complex Atrium. Students can learn more and book appointments on the Canadian Blood Services website.

Listen to the full story here.