This BC Group Saved Over 140K Lives And Is One Of Canada's Biggest Blood Donors

B.C.'s health care system is in desperate need of blood, but fortunately, one group is stepping up in a big way. The province's Sikh Nation blood drive is the biggest in the nation.  Blood donations are really low during COVID-19 and they're answering the call to help.

It's a critical time for blood donations in B.C. Because everyone's staying indoors, blood donations have dipped and the province is calling on people to get donating again.

To try amp up the donations, Canadian Blood Services is partnering with Sikh Nation, one of the nation's biggest donors, to raise awareness of the need.

Sikh Nation told us they've been motivated to give so much blood in order to remember the 1984 genocide of their people in India.

"Our goal in doing this blood drive every year is to commemorate the lives that we'd lost by actually donating blood, to save lives in the community around us," said Jastej Kaur, volunteer and spokesperson for Sikh Nation to Narcity.

Every year in November, the Sikh Nation rolls out the largest blood drive in Canada. But many give blood throughout the year as well.

According to the Canadian Blood Services, they've saved over 140,000 lives across the nation since their inception.

The group first began donating in B.C. 20 years ago. Now, they've expanded across Canada into the national movement they are now.

B.C. officials recognized them and thanked them for their service. There'd been a drop in blood donations after safety measures taken for COVID-19, and the province is in need of blood donors.

"We recently made a call for British Columbians to donate blood. Volunteers in the Sikh community stepped up in response to our appeal," said B.C. officials on Tuesday, March 6.

"We thank them, and the many British Columbians who have responded to that call, for their generosity," the officials continued.

"It's really heartwarming for us," said Kaur about the praise from B.C. "But the community effort thing for us has never really been about the recognition."

According to Canadian Blood Services, the goal throughout Canada is to find over 2,600 donors. But Kaur said there's no real number in mind.

"Our point is not really to hit like a numbers target. It really is just to save as many human lives as possible."

Despite the fanfare around their giant November blood drive, Kaur says that many Sikhs donate blood year-round and highlighted the need to keep giving, not just on special occasions.

"We need to view this as a marathon, not a sprint," she said.