Parks staff are among the Bundaberg Regional Council Lifeblood team which has made more than 300 blood donations this year, already outstripping the group’s total donations last year.
With each donation saving up to three lives, the Council team’s 2023 effort has the potential to save more than 900 lives.
Council’s Parks CBD staff Garrett Smits and Wesley Tanna are the latest staff members to have rolled up their sleeves and donated blood as part of Council’s Lifeblood donation drive.
The Lifeblood program sees workplaces, community groups and organisations across Australia team up to donate blood throughout the year.
Council has encouraged employees to become blood donors, and to also inspire their coworkers, families, and the community to join Council’s Lifeblood team.
Wesley is a long-term regular donor having already made around 25 donations and said he always had a good experience at the local donation centre at Bundaberg Base Hospital.
“The volunteers, they are wonderful, and they make you feel welcome,” Wesley said.
“I’m always looking forward to turning up and donating.”
As a new donor, Garrett said he wasn’t daunted or nervous about the process after talking to the staff at the centre.
“The experience there is impeccable,” Garrett said.
“The nurses there are really friendly, very thorough with what they do, they talk you through everything.”
Blood donations can mean the difference between life and death for recipients, and donations made by Lifeblood teams have a significant effect on the blood service’s supply.
“I know friends and family that have required blood transfusions, and for me it’s about being able to give back to people in need, when they need it,” Garrett said.
Bundaberg Regional Council’s Lifeblood team this year has already surpassed last year’s total in just over 6 months.
There has also been over triple the number of new donors taking part in the team this year, an outcome that Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Group Account Manager for Bundaberg Rosie Barton said was worth celebrating.
“So far this year we have seen (313) donations from the Bundaberg Regional Council, and an incredible 37 new donors have rolled up their sleeves and given the gift of life from this dedicated Lifeblood Team,” Rosie said.
Rosie said the 1,613 active donors in the Bundaberg Regional local government area had made almost 4,000 donations in the last 12 months.
“Up to 11,772 lives were saved by those donations,” she said.
“We estimate around 25,659 of the Bundaberg Regional community will need blood or blood products in their lifetime.”
This year, Bundaberg Regional Council is in friendly competition with Fraser Coast Regional Council, which is currently streaking ahead on the leader board with 535 donations.
Australian Red Cross kicked off the National Local Government Blood drive in July, and Bundaberg Regional Council currently sits in seventh place across Australia.
Community members and family and friends of Council employees can also contribute to the Bundaberg Regional Council’s Lifeblood tally by nominating to join the BRC Lifeblood team at time of donation, or register here.
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