The Gold Coast community is urged to roll up their sleeves and donate blood for this year’s Christmas campaign.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood needs 5000 Gold Coasters to give the gift of life before the end of the year.
Mobile services will be roaming the city for the next five weeks, anywhere from Pimpama down to the Tweed.
Mayor Tom Tate rolled up his sleeve in Bundall today, urging others to get involved.
“This is the best gift you can do for Christmas, it’s the gift of life and you’ll feel good about it,” Mayor Tate says.
“The other part is to think about this: it might be that this will save somebody you love,
“As a Gold Coast community, we are generous in all matters of donations… I’m asking for you to extend your generosity to giving blood,
Kristy Purnell from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood says they need about 1000 locals each week to give up an hour of their time.
“It’s a really great time during Christmas with people thinking about other people, so roll up your sleeve, come forth and donate and help someone in a time of need,” Ms Purnell says.
“We know Christmas time can be a little bit challenging with everybody rushing off on their holidays and getting out on the roads so it’d be really great for people to be able to make it a priority if they can donate.”
There are two Lifeblood donor centres on the Gold Coast in Robina and Southport, as well as the roving mobile service van.
Throughout the year they need to see around 80-100 people a day, however, at the moment they’d “be lucky” to get 50-60 people through the door.
“This year has been challenging as the last couple of years, there has been a lot of sicknesses and winter was quite challenging for us and there is still a little bit of sickness floating around,”
“Working from home, hybrid models, floods etc. there’s been a lot still coming at people which has changed people’s routines,
“So we’d love people to think about this time of year and what they can do to give back.”
For more information, or to donate visit www.lifeblood.com.au
