At the ceremony, from left: Kristen Smith, Community Connections co-ordinator; Tammy Maroudas, Canadian Blood Services community development co-ordinator, and student volunteers Mary MacLean and Amber McKay.

Community Connections has been honoured by Canadian Blood Services for its work in organizing community blood drives.

The department and some Brock student volunteers received a special award at the organization’s recent ninth annual Honouring Our Lifeblood recognition ceremony in Jordan Harbour. The award celebrated Brock’s 10-year history holding blood donor clinics and sponsoring Life Bus shuttles.

The university joined the Partners For Life program in 2008, a program where member organizations make an annual commitment to donate blood. This year, 170 units of blood were donated.

Efforts were also boosted around campus this year. An initiative by some Brock students — including the Graduate Students’ Association and the Brock University Athletics Council — saw a centralized blood donor sign-up station at the university’s information booth. Posters and banners were also hung around the school.

Giving blood is “an easy way of giving back to the community,” said Josie Kielstra, one of the students behind the effort.

“Some students may find it overwhelming when there are so many worthy causes asking for donations to support their causes,” she said. But cash-strapped students who donate blood “can immediately feel good about themselves knowing they directly saved up to three lives.”

Amber McKay, a student volunteer studying Concurrent Education and Child and Youth, agreed.

“Giving blood is a way to give back to the community and to help other people that does not cost money or time, but is extremely valuable to the people who receive the gift,” she said. “As a Brock community, giving blood is one way to show that we care about individuals in our community.”

The group will also hold an on-campus blood drive this fall. There will also be information booths during Orientation Week.