The 43rd Canadiens Blood Drive will take place on October 16

MONTREAL – On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, the Bell Centre will host the 43rd annual Canadiens Blood Drive, organized in partnership with Héma-Québec. About 750 donors are expected between 8:00 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the main entrance, located on avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal.

Throughout the day, various members of the organization, including current players, coaches, Youppi! and Canadiens Alumni, will be on hand to thank fans for their generosity. The objective of this major blood donation clinic, presented in collaboration with RDS, is to collect a large amount of blood units in order to maintain the collective reserve at an optimal level. Every day, Héma-Québec must collect at least 1,000 blood donations to efficiently meet the needs of all hospitals across the province.

Those wishing to come roll up their sleeve during the Canadiens Blood Drive are invited to make an appointment now by visiting jedonne.hema-quebec.qc.ca or by calling 1-800-343-7264. Reserving your time slot in advance is strongly recommended in order to allow for better management of visitors and reduce wait times, which will result in faster screening process and actual donation. However, walk-ins will also be accommodated on the day of, as space allows.

Most adults in good health can give blood and help save up to three lives. Before registering or attending a blood drive, it is important for donors to first verify whether they meet all eligibility conditions by consulting the “Who can donate?” section on Héma-Québec’s website or by contacting the Donor Centre at 1-800-847-2525.

Initiated in 1981 by Montreal Canadiens legend Jean Béliveau and Claude Mouton, former sports commentator and announcer at the Montreal Forum, the Canadiens Blood Drive has resulted in 38,147 blood donations to this day. Since 1998, the Montreal Canadiens have been organizing their blood drive in collaboration with Héma-Québec, the exclusive supplier of blood products in Quebec. Over the past 42 years, the Canadiens Blood Drive has helped save close to 114,441 lives.

REMINDER

• WHAT? Canadiens Blood Drive
• WHEN? Wednesday, October 16, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• WHO? Canadiens players, Canadiens coaches, Canadiens Alumni, Youppi!
• WHERE? Bell Centre
  • Main entrance: 1909, avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal
  • Metro station: Bonaventure or Lucien-L'Allier
  • Paid parking: 1275, rue Saint-Antoine Ouest

IMPORTANT REMINDERS TO DONORS

Various measures are in place to ensure the safety of donors, staff, and volunteers at collection sites. To this end, please note that an electronic search is mandatory when entering the Bell Centre. In addition, according to NHL security policies, no backpacks, sports bags, laptop bags or large bags will be allowed inside the building.

Although we understand that many fans see this event as an opportunity to meet the players, take pictures and get autographs, its main objective remains to collect blood donations to help Héma-Québec meet the needs of the Quebec population. For this reason, anyone who does not intend to donate blood will not be able to enter the Bell Centre.

To learn more about our policy for accompanying persons or to find out how to get to the Bell Centre and all the safety regulations applicable inside the amphitheatre, please consult canadiens.com/blood.

ABOUT HÉMA-QUÉBEC

Héma-Québec’s mission is to efficiently meet the Québec population’s needs for blood and other high-quality biological products of human origin. Héma-Québec has 1,900 employees, over 200,000 donors of blood, plasma, stem cells, mothers’ milk and human tissue, as well as thousands of volunteers at blood drive sites. Héma-Québec delivers nearly 800,000 human-derived biological products to Québec hospitals every year to meet patients’ needs.