Elaine St. Pierre, Territory Manager for the Canadian Blood Services, reports that the donation clinic held in Shelburne last month exceeded expectations. “The goal was to collect 58 blood donations and we collected 65,” she says.

“Historically, Shelburne's clinics reach and often exceed their targets due to a core group of dedicated community members that keep blood donation top of mind throughout the year,” says Ms. St. Pierre.

The Territory Manager for Simcoe & Grey Counties, Ms. St. Pierre is tasked with seeking out eligible blood donors for the region's community clinics. 

She says Canadian Blood Services operate clinics in Shelburne four times a year at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex. Clinics are usually scheduled on a Friday to run from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

“It is worth noting that 11% of our collections in Shelburne, on average, come from first time donors. “This is very impressive,” says the Manager, “I think this speaks a real sense of community in Shelburne as existing donors continue to encourage others to join Canada's Lifeline.”

Excellent information about the donation process as well eligibility factors can be found on the website www.blood.ca. To help determine if you are able to donate, Ms. St. Pierre says to take the eligibility quiz as a first step. According to Canadian Blood Services, the standard donation for donating blood is approximately 450 ml, slightly less than half a litre or two cups. This represents a small portion of the blood in a person's body, as the average adult has about 5 litres. The entire process takes just over an hour.

The next Shelburne clinic will be on Friday, December 21st.