The MRC d’Argenteuil and the Sûreté du Québec are proud to announce that a total of 107 donors took part in the sixth edition of their annual blood drive on April 14, 2020, in the foyer of École Polyvalente Lavigne. Given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers say that this large number of donations is a testament to the altruism and great generosity of the Argenteuil population.
In order to ensure proper management of traffic at the donation site in the context of the pandemic, donors had to make an appointment with Héma-Québec beforehand. As usual, strict measures were applied to protect donors. However, the coronavirus pandemic has led Héma-Québec to introduce additional measures such as an access checkpoint with temperature checks, social distancing (two metres), a disinfection protocol and compulsory masks for donors. Exceptionally, people aged 70 and over were not allowed to participate in the blood drive.
MRC d’Argenteuil Warden Scott Pearce said he was particularly pleased and touched by the result: “In the current context, blood donation is becoming increasingly important in our society. We are proud to see the citizens of Argenteuil taking part in this outpouring of solidarity and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many donors as well as the staff of Héma-Québec”.
The success of this blood drive was also a result of the invaluable contributions of École Polyvalente Lavigne, the Sûreté du Québec and MRC d’Argenteuil staff.
The organizing committee says it is ready to roll up its sleeves again next year for the seventh edition!
The importance of blood donation
Every 80 seconds, someone in Québec needs blood. The collective blood supply belongs to everybody. Regardless of where the blood is collected, it is processed and tested, and then sent where it is necessary for saving lives. Every day, Héma-Québec must collect at least 1,000 blood donations to meet all the needs of Québec hospitals.
