A reminder that the St Joseph Band Club of Ghanjnsielem are organising another blood donation marathon on Saturday, the 6th of December 2008 as part of the 'Ghajnsielem Week' activities. The band club will once again literally be turned into a blood donation centre.

The target is to start holding this event every December on a yearly basis. The blood donation drive will again be held in collaboration with the Malta National Blood Transfusion and the Red Cross Gozo Branch.

The executive committee is continuing a 3 month intensive campaign inviting all the general public to take part in this activity and donate blood. By donating a pint of blood you may save three lives. Imagine the three people you are saving. Imagine their hopes and dreams, picture their lifetime of experiences - and share in their joy .

The committee is urging all potential donors to participate in this event. A reservation can be made by sending an SMS message with your name on 99459426 or by contacting one of the committee members.

It is worth noting that the Blood Donation Services has recently made an urgent appeal for groups A and O since reserves are low and surgical operations risk being postponed.

To qualify, a person must be aged between 18 and 60 years; 17 year olds must have a parents or guardians consent and also anyone up to 65 who is a regular donor. Females can donate every four months; Males can donate every three months. A person must weight at least 50kg (110 lb).

Blood donation is about just a few minutes of your time which can save lives.

Quick Facts: -

Blood donation is safe.

Giving blood will not decrease your health.

One or two serious accidents are often enough to drain our blood stocks.

Over 300,000 people in Malta can donate blood but barely 5% do.

Nearly 300 grievous traffic accidents occur in Malta every year, 17 of which are fatal.

For a sick person who needs a transfusion, blood may be the difference between life and death.

Our body replenishes controlled blood loss by itself.

You cannot get AIDS or any other infectious disease by donating blood.

About 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.

Approximately 40 to 50 units of blood are needed daily to meet the demands from hospitals.

Scrupulous tests are carried out on every single donation.

More information can be found on http://www.health.gov.mt/nbts/faqs.htm