L-R: Fire Chief Ken McMullen (Supplied) and RCMP Inspector Heidi Ravenhill donate at the Sirens for Life kick-off event on Jan. 8. (rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

JANUARY CAMPAIGNS

Sirens for Life and 450 Challenge call for new blood and plasma donors

Jan 9, 2025 | 9:57 AM

January bleeds red at Canadian Blood Services, which is currently holding two donation campaigns throughout the month to increase awareness and help meet its needs, Sirens for Life and the 450 Challenge.

Once again, first responders in Red Deer are going head-to-head to see who can make the most blood donations for the 25th annual Sirens for Life campaign in January, RCMP or the Fire Department.

“We do have the entire month of January to compete with the Red Deer Fire Department, and we’ll be coming out strong,” noted Inspector Heidi Ravenhill, RCMP, after her donation at the kick-off day on Jan. 8.

Additionally, any donation made by a citizen in support during the month of January will count towards first responder totals, which will then be paired against Edmonton and Calgary numbers in the province-wide competition.

Last year, Calgary came out on top with 5,677 donations, 636 of which were new donors. Red Deer saw 1,066 donations, with 77 of those coming from new donors.

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Shamus Neeson, community development manager for Canadian Blood Services, said that Red Deer is “incredibly supportive” of these campaigns but struggles to come out on top due to the population difference.

New donors have an additional opportunity to make a difference too, through the new Canada-wide 450 Challenge.

Canadian Blood Services says to meet the growing hospital demand for blood and plasma, it needs to see 450 new donors a day across Canada. In Red Deer, Neeson said our share of that responsibility is only around 10 new donors a day due to the size of our clinic.

“The need for blood is constant. Every minute of every day, someone in Canada will need blood and does need blood. The 35 minutes you spend with us today will save someone’s life,” he said.

Across Canada, donors can typically expect to spend about an hour in the clinic, most of which is spent checking in, getting screened, and then waiting for your turn. While this isn’t always a guarantee, in Red Deer, Neeson said that average tends to be closer to 35 minutes depending on staff levels.

Red Deer already has at least one new donor to add to its tally after Kraymer Barnstable, city councillor and deputy mayor, donated for the first time at the kick-off event.

“It was good, it was pretty simple. The pain is pretty minimal, so that’s good,” he reflected. He added that the staff walked him through what to expect, which helped with the nerves, and ran a smooth operation.

Coun. Kraymer Barnstable makes his first blood donation during the 450 Challenge. (rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

For 2025, the Red Deer clinic is aiming to see 1,368 donations throughout the month of January, with 95 of those ideally coming from new donors.

To contribute to the campaign, appointments can be made online or through the Give Blood app. If you have any questions about your eligibility due to medications or a condition, call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

Donors of all blood types are needed and welcome, however O-negative blood appears to be in particular need, according to the Canadian Blood Services website. O-negative blood is the universal donor and can be given to any other blood type if an emergency situation doesn’t allow for testing.