This article was originally published in the April 2025 edition of Héma-Québec’s Magazine. All issues of the Magazine are available here.

Organizing a blood drive is a whole team effort

You’ve no doubt seen one of our signs in the window of your neighbourhood’s school gym, on a utility pole near your local community centre, or at the entrance to a shopping mall. The title, in all caps, with the Héma-Québec logo: BLOOD DRIVE.

Have you ever considered what a logistical feat it is to put on so many of these events? Every year, Héma-Québec organizes over 1,800 blood drives across Québec to ensure the province has a sufficient and stable supply of blood. Behind these vital drives lies a finely tuned invisible orchestra of logistics, conducted by Héma-Québec and its many partners.

A symphony of planning

First, we need to choose what type of drive we’re organizing and when. To plan a drive, we need to consider several key criteria: the size of the municipality, the number of active donors in the region, daily blood product needs, and our ability to find a site and volunteers. The schedule is set several months in advance. The first events to be confirmed are the higher-volume drives, especially those in remote regions, which require the team to be on site for longer.

We organize all our other planning around recurring drives, which take place at the same place every year. Our donors know they can count on these events, and they help us maintain a stable supply. That said, Héma-Québec is always looking for new partners to widen its pool of donors and make it easier for people to donate blood.

Dedicated partners from all walks of life

Businesses and educational institutions play a key role in organizing blood drives. Although elementary and high school students can’t give blood (the minimum age for donation is 18), they make amazing ambassadors for the cause—and they are also the future of donor pool. New partnerships also help spread the word about blood donation.

It’s important to choose the right site. The space needs to meet strict criteria for safety, hygiene and size (in general, we need a space that is at least 2,000 square feet). Every blood drive is a team effort. Pretty much every one of Héma-Québec’s departments is involved: training volunteers, doing promotion, recruiting donors and getting all material and staff where they need to go.

On the big day, nothing is left to chance: the organizing committee, drivers, supervisors, nurses, attendants and volunteers (not to mention the donors!) perform a carefully choreographed dance to make sure the drive goes off without a hitch. This attention to detail ensures people get in, out and around without a fuss, and donors are well taken care of.

Other ways to get involved

Donating to a blood drive is an amazing thing—it saves lives. But for people who can’t give blood products, no matter what the reason, organizing a drive or volunteering for one is just as valuable a way to contribute to this vital mission. The same is true of financial donations to the Héma-Québec Foundation. Everyone has a part to play and together, we can make a difference.