Residents in Burnaby and New Westminster wanting to donate blood closer to home will be able to do so this summer.
The Canadian Blood Services will be hosting numerous pop-up blood donation clinics in both cities in July and August after issuing a plea for donors back in May.
In a release, the service said an increase in donations of all blood types before Canada Day would ensure there is enough available for patients across the country.
"We are grateful to donors for their support, but at the beginning of the pandemic we said the effort to ensure there’s enough blood to meet patient needs would be continuous like a marathon, not a sprint," Rick Prinzen, Canadian Blood Services' chief supply chain officer and vice-president of donor relations said on May 17.
"We have experienced a 10 per cent increase in late cancellations and missed appointments influenced by recent illness, isolation requirements and the lifting of restrictions and a seven per cent rise in deferrals related in part to increased travel."
According to Canadian Blood Services, one in two people in Canada are eligible to donate blood, plasma and platelets, but just one in 81 does.
Dates and times for clinics in Burnaby and New Westminster are as follows. Appointments can be booked online.
Burnaby
- Aubrey Elementary School (1075 Stratford Ave.) - Saturday, Aug. 7
- Maywood Community School (4567 Imperial St.) - Saturday, Aug. 20
- Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre (6688 Southoaks Cres.) - Friday, July 1, Friday, July 29 and Friday Aug. 26
- Byrne Creek Secondary School (7777 18th St.) - Sunday, July 10 and Sunday, Aug. 21
New Westminster
- Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St.) - Thursday, Aug. 18
