Joely Bear's 50th Blood Donor Session
On Sunday 17th July, The Joely Bear Appeal will host its 50th Blood Donor Session in Borehamwood. The Elstree-based charity, founded in 1995, will be hosting its landmark session at a Borehamwood School and plans to make it a fun filled and life-saving day to remember for all!
The Joely Bear Appeal held its first Blood Donor Session in conjunction with The National Blood Service in February 1995. Every four months since, local venues in Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett and Shenley have played host to Joely Bear’s sessions.
The event will be a bittersweet milestone for the Renak family of Park Crescent as the charity was founded in memory of Joel, who died in November 1994 at the age of four and a half after a year long battle against a rare form of liver cancer.
During their many stays in various hospitals, Lisa and Leigh Renak became aware of just how fragile a balance it is between blood stocks and demand for blood.
Give a few minutes of your life to save someone else’s
Donated blood is used not only by patients undergoing surgery and receiving treatment for cancer and blood diseases such as leukaemia, but also for treating victims of accident and emergency situations.
Currently 7,000 units of blood are needed every day to help save the lives of sick and injured patients across England and North Wales yet only four per cent of the eligible population give blood.
Blood donors can donate three times a year and the process of giving blood takes around an hour - with the actual donation taking about five to ten minutes.
Building a better future
During the lunchtime Barbeque, Joely Bear will introduce its latest project at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital. We will be presenting a cheque to representatives of GOSH for a new facility due to open this year.
Have a laugh, a burger and save lives
Joel’s brother Daniel, said “I’d encourage everyone to come down, bring the whole family (for the children there is a fully supervised creche including a bouncy castle and face-painting) and donate a little bit of blood. You can join us at the barbeque throughout the lunch period celebrating our past achievements and looking forward to our future challenges! Every donation of blood made has the potential to benefit three people who need live saving treatments”
This milestone session is also dedicated to promoting the importance of registering as a potential Bone Marrow Donor.
For one Elstree family this is vitally important. Ellie Olmer is desperately promoting the need for bone marrow donors. “My 20 year old niece Emily is battling a most aggressive form of leukaemia and her only chance of success is to find a suitable match from the worldwide bone marrow register. This is a race against time and we are encouraging everyone we know to attend this session on 17th July, give blood, and also register as a potential bone marrow donor.”
Anyone aged between 17 - 65, weighing more than 50 kg (7 stone 12lbs) and in general good health could potentially start saving lives by becoming a blood donor. There is no upper age limit for donors who have donated in the last two years.
Joely Bear’s 50th Blood Donor Session is on
Sunday 17th July 2011 at
Yavneh College
Hillside Avenue
Borehamwood, Herts
WD6 1HL
09:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 16:30
The barbeque will be running between 12:30pm and 2pm.
Booking an appointment in advance minimises waiting times and allows you to select a location and time to donate that suits you. To book an appointment call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk
