Having secured 6% of its overall target for the year at the Taste of Cayman Food Festival, the Cayman Islands Blood Bank is encouraging members of the community who are eligible to donate blood.

The blood bank’s objective is to have at least 500 new donors by the end of 2017.

The blood bank hosted its first major blood drive of 2017 at the Taste of Cayman Food Festival, which saw over 30 attendees register to be donors on January 28.

Speaking of the event, Judith Clarke, Laboratory Manager at the Health Services Authority (HSA), stated that it went “very well”.

“Thirty potential donors registered that evening and several more took to our website address to sign up online. We are very proud of them for choosing to help save lives. We were able to reach a great number of people and educate them on the reasons they may or may not be able to donate blood at this time,” said Clarke.

The opportunity to reach out to hundreds of potential donors and raise awareness about the importance of blood donation in our community at the annual food and drink festival was made possible by Rotaract and Rotary Central, sponsors of the Cayman Islands Blood Bank.

“The importance of donating cannot be understated. Each donation potentially saves three lives – but aside from helping others, there are many benefits to the donor as well. For example, it preserves your cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, reduces the risk of cancer and provides a free mini physical,” said William Inniss, District Alumni Chair, Rotary District 7020.

Inniss noted that for many years, eligible members of the Rotary Club have donated and continue to donate blood regularly to the Cayman Island Blood Bank.

He further stated that while each rotary club has their own tradition, at one point in his club’s history, one of their policies was to “donate a unit of blood at the hospital’s Blood Bank, or provide a good excuse for not doing so”.

‘These days, this is not required, however, it still appears as an optional, encouraged practice. Rotary also strongly supports the projects of our Rotaract clubs. One of these projects lately has been a district-wide initiative to encourage and promote blood donation in each club’s island,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation transfusions of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year, including during emergencies such as conflicts, natural disasters and childbirth.

To learn more about the Cayman Islands Blood Bank and how to become a donor, a sponsor or a volunteer you can visit www.bloodbank.ky.