'The need for blood never stops': How to get involved in this year's 'Hero in You' blood donor campaign

The Hero in You campaign is back, kicking off on Nov. 1, with a call to Manitobans to consider donating blood.

Every November CTV News Winnipeg puts out a plea for you to help fill every available Canadian Blood Services blood donation appointment.

• HERO IN YOU 2022: Find more details and learn how you can get involved

"The need for blood never stops," said Brett Lawrence, with Canadian Blood Services.

He said blood donations are used on a daily basis, saying someone getting leukemia treatment may use up to eight units in a week, and someone in a car accident could use up to 50 units of blood.

"During the pandemic, our donor base actually went down by about 31,000 regular donors nationally," said Lawrence, adding only about one in 81 eligible Canadians actually donate blood.

"It is a very small amount of donors maintaining an entire country's donor base."

During the month of November, Canadian Blood Services needs to fill 1,080 appointments.

To get involved, book an appointment to donate blood during the month of November. When you do, take a photo at the donor centre and post it to Twitter using #ctvwpghero and tag CTV News Winnipeg and Life Line Manitoba.

CTV News will share your photos every week on the newscast and online.

To check your eligibility and to book an appointment, go online or use the Give Blood app. You can also make an appointment by calling 1-888-236-6283.