While Canadian Niagara Hotels began advertising for the event at the beginning of December, it was the sharing of personal stories which point to the life-saving impact of blood donations that dramatically increased interest and support.
It was a significant day in Niagara Falls on Jan. 11, as Canadian Blood Services held their first blood clinic at the city’s Sheraton Hotel. The event was facilitated by Canadian Niagara Hotels.
“We’ve been working on this project as a whole group,” said Sarah Vazquez, Vice-President of Marketing and Business Development at Canadian Niagara Hotels. “One of our big initiatives was to really focus on our community involvement and see what there might be for us to get involved in… and this was an absolutely amazing event!”
“Our goal was to get fifty-nine people signed up,” said Eleni Tataridis, Assistant Vice-President and Human Resource Director at Canada Niagara Hotels. “When all was said and done, we actually had eighty people. Even more significantly, more than fifty of these people passed their eligibility tests upon arrival, and were able to become donors.”
While Canadian Niagara Hotels began advertising for the event at the beginning of December, it was the sharing of personal stories which point to the life-saving impact of blood donations that dramatically increased interest and support.
“There are so many examples in which our employees, as well as their loved ones, have needed blood in order to survive,” Tatardis explained. “The relating of these stories led our team members to take this big step to support both their families and their work families. This experience was a true eye-opener for me in terms of the importance of blood donation, and I knew that I wanted to give back in this way.”
Tatardis says that this event was aimed at providing increased accessibility for those who would like to donate blood, but have not been able to in the past.
“Finding a blood clinic is not as easy as many may think,” she explained. “We believe that it is truly imperative that we ensure more people have a location that they can get to. Only around five per cent of Canadians currently donate blood. Imagine if another fifty per cent would consider doing so if there was a location close by.”
Nick Redekop completed his Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Labour Studies at Brock University. He has previously served in municipal and federal politics. In his free time, Nick enjoys following sports, taking part in outdoor activities, and reading biographies. Nick resides in Niagara Falls
