Giving life together
St. Joseph’s proudly finishes in the top four in the Canadian Blood Services’ annual Hospital Challenge.
St. Joseph’s is proud to be a top finisher in annual Hospital Challenge of Canadian Blood Services (CBS), coming in fourth among 14 hospitals and contributing to more than 500 units of blood donated during the months of May and June.
CBS Hospital Challenge
The CBS Hospital Challenge is an annual challenge that sees hospitals across Ontario go head-to-head to donate the most units of blood per capita (employee population) during the months of May and June – just before summer when the need for blood is the most critical.
During the two-month challenge, St. Joseph’s staff, physicians, researchers, volunteers, friends and family members donated a total of 72 units of blood – a tally tracked through Partners for Life donations. Partners for Life is a program created by CBS to engage corporate companies and community organizations in donating blood on a larger scale.
St. Joseph's in top 4 for fourth straight year
It’s the fourth year in a row that St. Joseph’s has finished in the top four. This year, staff across the organization rallied teams like never before to make meaningful blood donations or encourage others to do so. Many programs and clinics came together to make donating blood a team building experience. Nine young scientists from Lawson Health Research Institute are just one of the many teams who gave the gift of life together. Six of the nine had never given blood before.
“It was a great bonding experience for our group,” says Kaitlin Al, student and researcher at Lawson. “This was the first blood donation for many of us. The support that came from donating among a group of friends and co-workers was a very positive experience and made us all a little less nervous. It’s also important for our group to support causes that matter, whether with our work, research, or in our free time.”
While the summer challenge is now over, all are encouraged to keep on giving, including friends of St. Joseph’s. Register with St. Joseph’s Partners for Life ID number and keep the gift of life going. St. Joseph’s has set a target of 240 donations before the end of 2018. The tally so far sits at 132 donations. Need some inspiration? Learn why others at St. Joseph’s were inspired to make a lasting commitment to blood donation.