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Langley students help out at clinic during National Blood Donors Week

Credo Christian students helped celebrated National Blood Donors Week by helping at a blood clinic
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Acting Township Mayor Bob Long helped volunteers celebrate National Blood Donors Week. (Bob Groeneveld/Langley Advance Times)

By Bob Groeneveld/Langley Advance Times

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Sam Leyenhorst and Colin Van Woudenberg came out to help – in as many ways as they could.

They were two of a contingent of Credo Christian School kids who joined Canadian Blood Services staff and volunteers at the Church in the Valley last week both to donate their blood and to help out with the clinic while other donors arrived and took their turns in the donation chairs.

Councillor Bob Long also came out, to offer moral support as Acting Mayor of Langley Township.

He said he was pleased to be there, as it brought back memories of his father, who donated blood in England even before coming to Canada.

“He gave blood every 56 days for as long as I can remember,” said Long.

That was apparently the minimum mandatory waiting period between donations, said Long, “because he was there [at the clinic to donate blood] as often as he could be.”

It wasn’t an ordinary clinic last Thursday. It was National Blood Donors Week across Canada, and June 14 was World Blood Donors Day.

Langley has always been in the thick of it when there has been a need for blood, going back decades to the days when Langley residents would fill buses for a drive to Vancouver and the nearest donation facility.

Just last month, Canadian Blood Services handed out honours at Langley Events Centre. Five local volunteers were recognized for giving a combined total of 75 years of service.

A stem cell donor received honours alongside two donors who had each donated at least 200 times, another eight who had donated 150 times, and 65 had donated at least 50 times.

“Over the past year,” noted event coordinator Arleen Asi, “we received 70,534 blood donations.”

But there’s always a need for more.

“From now until the BC Day long weekend, we need over 560 donors to donate in Langley,” said Asi.

The following blood donation events are available for donors:

– Church in the Valley, 23589 Old Yale Rd., on Tuesdays, June 25, July 9, and 23, and Aug. 6.

– Blacklock Elementary School, 5100 206th St., Sunday, July 21.

– St Nicholas Church, 20675 87th Ave., Saturday, July 6.

This event location is an alternative summer location, taking the place of donor clinics usually held at Walnut Grove Lutheran Church.

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Colin Van Woudenberg and Sam Leyenhorst were part of a group of Credo Christian School students who gave blood and helped out at a blood donor clinic at the Chruch in the Valley last week. (Bob Groeneveld/Langley Advance Times)