Bill S-29

1st Session, 38th Parliament,

53-54 Elizabeth II, 2004-2005

senate of canada

BILL S-29

An Act respecting a National Blood Donor Week

WHEREAS in Canada the blood supply is managed by two not-for-profit organizations — Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services;

WHEREAS every blood donation has the power to save the lives of three people;

WHEREAS only three and one-half per cent of eligible Canadians donate blood every year;

WHEREAS in Canada more blood donors are needed to meet the escalating demand for blood by our hospitals;

WHEREAS in Canada greater awareness of the importance of becoming a blood donor is required in order to encourage more Canadians to join the movement;

WHEREAS in Canada blood donors are volunteers who are not remunerated, and the act of donating blood is therefore an act of genuine altruism;

WHEREAS it is important to educate Canadians about the fact that being a blood donor is an important part of being an engaged citizen of the country;

WHEREAS blood donors in Canada are the everyday heroes of their communities, and their acts of kindness and generosity should be honoured with a national week of celebration and awareness;

WHEREAS the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the second Tuesday in June “World Blood Donor Day”, a day of celebration to honour and thank those who give the most precious gift of all, the gift of life;

AND WHEREAS 192 WHO Member States, 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and 50 voluntary blood donor organizations have agreed to support World Blood Donor Day each year;

NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the National Blood Donor Week Act.

NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR WEEK

2. (1) Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the second week of June shall be known as “National Blood Donor Week ”.

(2) For the purposes of this section, “second week of June” means the week in which the second Tuesday in June occurs.