A spokesperson for Canadian Blood Services says bookings are way down for Monday's blood donor clinic in Steinbach.

Monday is Labour Day but that is not stopping Canadian Blood Services from holding a blood donor clinic in Steinbach. Steve Raizen is Territory Manager. He says they hold blood donation events six days a week and because the need for blood does not take a holiday, there will be a clinic on Monday at Steinbach Mennonite Church from 2pm to 7pm.

Raizen emphasizes that summer is one of the more challenging times of the year to collect blood donations. He notes that is because people are either away on holidays or very busy with summer activities. According to Raizen, things seem to normalize once kids are back in school.

Every year, Canadian Blood Services needs 350 new donors from Steinbach just to help meet collection goals. And though there have been good turnouts at clinics this summer, Raizen says they have not always met their donation goals.

Even though Monday's clinic falls on a holiday, Raizen says their collection goal is the same as any other Monday in Steinbach. That means, Canadian Blood Services needs about 160 donors to book appointments in order to meet the goal of 96 donations. He points out that not everyone will be able to make it out on the day of their appointment. In some cases, people cancel because they are not feeling well, while others are turned away at the clinic because of low hemoglobin or due to recent travel that now restricts them from donating blood.

"We actually see a good turnout most commonly on our holiday events," says Raizen. "One of the reasons is I think because Steinbach is a large manufacturing community some of those workers who work shift work may be off on those days and able to come out to donate."

Meanwhile, Raizen says though they need all blood types, there is real shortage right now of O- blood. Currently there is an inventory of about three days for O- blood, yet Raizen says their preference is between five and eight days. Raizen reminds us that O- are universal donors.

"0- can be used in any emergency circumstance where the doctors may not have time to test somebody's blood to find out what type they are," explains Raizen. "So if you are O- donor and you are able to come out on Monday that would make a big difference."

Raizen says one of the easiest ways to find out your blood type is by donating blood. Once you have successfully donated, you will receive a blood donor card in the mail which includes your blood type.