The Challenge is on. Which school in the Southern Vales area has what it takes to achieve the highest number of blood donations this year?

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) has launched its 2007 Southern School Challenge, with last year’s victor Tatachilla Lutheran College issuing the call for other schools to take them on in this year’s life-saving clash.

In South Australia, people can become blood donors at age 16 if they are in good health, weigh more than 45 kilograms and meet other eligibility criteria.

Operations Manager of the ARCBS-SA, Greg Wilkie, said the School Challenge was all about encouraging young people to get involved in blood donation with their peers and, ultimately, make giving blood a long-term practice.

“For around one hour every three months, students and staff participating in the annual School Challenge put down their pens and turn off their computers to help save lives,” he said.

“If 50 people from each of the approximately 12 secondary schools in the Southern Vales region donate three times this year, the effort from the southern suburbs alone could help save up to 1800 lives."

Blood is needed every day by cancer patients, people with heart disease, people with kidney, stomach and bowel disease, for newborn babies, pregnant women and for burns and accident victims. Thirty per cent of all donated blood is needed for cancer treatments.

One in three people will need blood or blood products at some stage during their lives, but just one in 30 people (3% of the population) are blood donors.

The Southern School Challenge is being fought out in the Noarlunga Blood Donor Centre, which is conveniently located at Noarlunga Health Services, Alexander Kelly Drive. Meanwhile, the City School Challenge will take place at the Blood Service’s Pirie Street and Currie Street Blood Donor Centres.

For more information about the Blood Service’s School Challenge, please phone 8100 4574. To make an appointment to donate blood, please call 13 14 95 or visit www.donateblood.com.au.


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