Langley RCMP chief will be hosed down after his detachment lost to the Murrayville firehall.
The Township of Langley fire department and RCMP detachment held a friendly competition for who could bring in the most blood donors at a drive held on Thursday, May 18.
A total of 69 people came to donate, and they could pick which team to support in the blood drive.
Arleen Asi, community development manager at Canadian Blood Services, said she received 73 votes — 44 to the fire department, and 29 for the Langley RCMP.
The winning team gets to hose down the losing team’s chief, which will be chief Adrian Marsden of the Langley RCMP.
The blood drive event was started by Langley RCMP Cst. Curt Hall who wanted to give back after his daughter received blood transfusion when she was diagnosed with leukemia at age two.
“She required a lot of transfusions, and I cannot repay the donors that helped save her life but I can keep donating and asking others to donate their blood to help other kids or anyone else,” Hall said.
He said she is 10 years old now and is considered cured since she passed the five year mark with no signs of the cancer returning.
“She went through a lot. Treatment was about three years.”
His colleagues donated for Princess Kira, named after Hall’s daughter.
Their Partners for Life group, Princess Kira, was started by Hall’s niece after his daughter was released from hospital.
He’s taken over it now, and hopes to have annual drives at the firehall in Murrayville to raise awareness of the constant need for blood donations.
Since the firehall has a larger space, Hall reached out to Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Ferguson to collaborate and use the space, Asi explained.
“It opened up an opportunity for us to come back here and do another blood drive,” she said.
A date has not yet been set for Marsden’s hose down.
Teresa Bayne, Willowbrook resident who attened the blood drive, said she has been donating blood every three months for over 20 years after she saw her mom battle cancer and require many blood transfusions.
She learned about the blood drive event through her account with Canadian Blood Services, which notifies her when she can donate again and sends her a link to book her next appointment.
Appointments are still available for blood donation in Langley at:
- Walnut Grove Lutheran Church on Saturday, June 3, and Thursday, June 29
- Willoughby Christian Reformed Church on Tuesday, June 13 and July 4.
Those interested in donating can book online at blood.ca.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Aldergrove students inspire 12 new blood donors
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