ANU students and staff have helped boost Canberra’s blood supplies in 2019 by making 1,975 donations, helping about 5,925 lives in the process.

The statistics are released by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood ahead of the summer holiday period.

This year, 620 people in the ANU community donated blood – up from 494 donors last year. In this year’s cohort, 211 of them donated for the first time.

In 2019 the University’s residential halls also participated in a blood donation challenge which saw Bruce Hall taking out the top spot with 68 donations, followed closely by Wamburun Hall with 55 donations.

Meanwhile ANU is in the running to receive the 2019 ACT Lifeblood Team Award for the Highest Total Amount of Lives Saved after receiving similar recognition in 2018.

Red Cross Canberra spokesperson Sally Gavin says despite the year rapidly drawing to a close, blood donations are still in high demand.

“Over the coming fortnight in Canberra we require an additional 800 donors to meet the forecasted demand for donations,” she said.

“These donations are vital to the wellbeing and survival of recipients across the country, and as our valued partners in saving lives, we rely on you to inspire your colleagues, staff, members and friends to donate in order to lift our blood supply.”

There are two donation centres near the University – at the Civic Plasma Centre (4 Mort Street Civic) or the Garran Blood Donor Centre (3 Dann Close Garran). Both centres are open 7 days per week (hours vary, check the links for more details).

To donate, you must:

- be feeling well,

- bring along a photo ID, donor card or mobile app digital donor card

- have eaten something substantial within 3 hours of donating blood

- drink 3 to 4 glasses of water within 3 hours prior to donating blood

Those who plan to donate plasma need to allow 1.5 hours for their first donation and then an hour for each consecutive one after that.

If you’d like to find out more about donating blood, visit https://www.donateblood.com.au  or call 13 14 95.