With the need for blood donations continuing to go up, the amount of donations is trending in the opposite direction and that needs to change quickly, according to Canadian Blood Services.

"1 out of 2 Canadians are eligible to donate blood but, only 1 in 84 actually does donate," says Community Development Manager Brett Lawrence. "It's a very small amount of people holding up Canada's blood supply."

Lawrence says he understands some may be apprehensive about donating but the teams on-site are always there to make you feel comfortable and answer any questions you may have. "We strongly encourage you to come out as a group. Get everyone to book an appointment as we're currently not accepting walk-ins. Doing it with friends makes it a whole lot easier. You can make it a social activity, too. You get chips and pop after so you can converse after you donate."

For the group that does continue to answer the call every time they're asked to donate, Lawrence says it's amazing to see the continued support. "I just want to say thank you. Especially to the donors of the Southeast. The pandemic has been hard to get people to donate but every couple of months we come out this way, we're blown away by the people who come to donate. We are just thankful."

Clinics will continue to run through the summer in the Southeast and you can book your appointment by going to Canadian Blood Services website Blood.ca or calling 1-888-236-6283.