Members of the Milestone Systems South Pacific team have begun a two month blood drive, as a way to support Australia’s ongoing need for blood and plasma.
Around 33,000 donations are needed every week in Australia. These are critical to the healthcare system as donations help patients experiencing cancer, surgery, trauma and childbirth complications or might support patients who have serious health conditions such as auto-immune disorders.
The Milestone Blood Drive runs between 1 November and 31 December and staff members, as well as suppliers, friends and family have been invited to donate blood or plasma.
As states emerge from lockdowns, regular donors are likely to face more competition for their time, especially during November to December. They will be figuring out new routines that include returning to sporting and lifestyle activities, work commutes and socialising. In an effort to address the ongoing need for blood, Milestone staff are rolling up their sleeves and donating blood and plasma, as an important part of their ‘new normal routine’.
In doing so, they hope to form new giving habits, whilst also raising the awareness of blood donations and are taking a collaborative approach to encourage the wider industry to join the blood drive.
To ensure donations can be counted towards this blood drive, a Lifeblood team has been set up for Milestone staff, friends, family and suppliers. The Lifeblood Team forms part of the blood donation program run by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and the blood drive is designed to bring people together to save lives.
As each blood donation is broken down into three parts and sent to three different recipients, the blood drive has the benefit of counting donations, as well as the amount of lives saved by participating donors. In this way, every donation is considered a gift of life.
“In this time of Covid-19 where people are feeling vulnerable, and discouraged, our team in Australia decided to come together to spread the word amongst the security industry about the importance of blood donation. The idea is that we work together and encourage our partners, customers, and wider industry community to join the Milestone ‘Lifeblood Team’ with the goal of helping others and saving as many lives as possible by the end of the year,” explains Brett Hansen, Country Manager for South Pacific at Milestone Systems.
When blood is seprated, there are parts that last for only 7 days, so maintaining this supply, regardless of the upcoming festive period, is essential.
“The need for donations never stop, so it is important to keep supplies flowing. By spreading information or donating blood, we are doing our best to save lives. We can see this initiative spreading across the video technology industry here too, and strongly encourage our friends, partners, and colleagues to join us in our quest,” states Danielle Joynson, Marketing Manager for Milestone Systems South Pacific.
“While it is very much a part of Milestone’s DNA to contribute to the greater good and give back to society, this particular program is much bigger than just us. It takes only a little effort to donate blood, but this small act can have a huge positive impact on somebody’s life. We urge our friends in the security and tech industries to help us and turn a small act of kindness into a major movement of goodwill,” concludes Hansen.
To join the Milestone Lifeblood team visit: https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/donate-as-a-group, register an account, and join as part of Milestone Systems’s Australia team.
For more questions on participating or registering, please contact Danielle Joynson at daj@milestonesys.com.
