GFL employees participate in plasma donation drive

GFL recently partnered with Canadian Blood Services to organize a plasma donation drive in honor of the newly opened plasma donor center near GFL’s Vaughan, Ontario, head office.

GFL employees donated their plasma with the goal of helping patients in local hospitals who require this life-saving component in blood. 

“It was amazing to see our team come together to support the community and learn how our donations positively impact recipients,” said Executive Assistant Christine Thomas, who helped coordinate the drive. “We had a lot of first-time donors and being able to support one another made the entire process less intimidating.”

The plasma donation drive was hosted at the Canadian Blood Services Woodbridge location. Approximately 28 people donated, including employees from GFL’s head office and a few employees from the Hamilton and Etobicoke branches.

Plasma is a crucial component of blood that contains life-saving antibodies. It plays a vital role in treating various medical conditions, including immune deficiencies, severe burns, and those who have had organ transplants.  

Canadian Blood Services invited guest speaker and plasma recipient Angela DiMondo to the drive to tell her story.

DiMondo has common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), a disease characterized by low levels of protective antibodies and an increased risk of infections.

She has received plasma products for the last 36 years and receives about 40 grams of immunoglobulin every four weeks to ensure she can live a healthy life.

The need for blood and plasma donations is stronger than ever. According to Canadian Blood Services, on average, someone in Canada needs blood every 60 seconds. Unexpected challenges over this past summer such as heat waves, forest fires and floodings have led to fewer people being able to donate.  

We thank all our employees who participated in the plasma donation drive and look forward to continuing our partnership with Canadian Blood Services.

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