Together with premier partner TELUS, ‘Caps shine a light on the pressing need for donors to support Canadian Blood Services
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC unveiled the club’s 2023 Bloodlines Jersey on Thursday, supporting Canadian Blood Services and featuring its new premier partner, TELUS.
The jersey features a touch of red that symbolizes both the club’s Canadian pride and origins, with the original 1974 red logo featured as a jock tag. Bloodlines are the thread that connect generations of Whitecaps FC fans under a common banner of the beautiful game, supporting Canada’s most history-laden club. The five stripes on the front of the jersey represent five decades of history as the club enters its 50th anniversary in 2024. With a legacy of giving back, the jersey also shines a light on the pressing need for donors to support Canadian Blood Services. Whitecaps FC and TELUS are urging fans to join in giving back to those who need it most. For more information on the new jersey, visit whitecapsfc.com/bloodlines.
“We are proud to partner with TELUS to support Canadian Blood Services and to raise awareness of the pressing need for donors,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC chief executive officer. “We believe in the collective power of our community to come together and make a real difference. For this reason, we are encouraging all Canadians from coast to coast to coast to download the Canadian Blood Services app and learn how they can help save lives.”
From February 16 to March 31, fans will be able to register for an account on the Canadian Blood Services app GiveBlood (myaccount.blood.ca) and show it at a home match at BC Place to receive free personalized cresting (name and number) on a 2023 Bloodlines jersey. The promotion will also be available at the Whitecaps FC Official Store once the jersey is available in-store. Stay tuned to Whitecaps FC social media channels for updates.
For more information on how to help support the Canadian Blood Services, visit blood.ca.
“With a shared vision to leverage the power of sport to make a meaningful impact in our local community, our partnership is helping bring much needed awareness and support to important causes, both on and off the field,” said Jill Schnarr, chief brand and communications officer, TELUS. “As an organization committed to the health and well-being of Canadians, we’re proud to join forces in urging fans to give blood to those in need. Together, we can make a positive difference to thousands of Canadians each year.”
“We are excited to receive support from Vancouver Whitecaps FC through the new Bloodlines jersey. This jersey is not just a piece of clothing, but represents a challenge to football fans to make a positive impact on their community,” said Gayle Voyer, associate director of donor relations with Canadian Blood Services.
“Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and TELUS all share a deep connection with the people of British Columbia. Whitecaps FC are taking a stand and urging football fans to join them in making a lifesaving difference by supporting Canada’s Lifeline. With a need for over 100,000 new donors in Canada this year to keep up with demand, this partnership presents an incredible opportunity to make a lasting impact.”
As part of the campaign, three recipients of blood and blood products and a committed donor are being featured to raise awareness of the vital impact that donors have on people’s lives.
Aubrey Hirsch
Aubrey Hirsch was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in September 2016 when she was only 17 months old. She received extensive chemotherapy treatment followed by a stem cell transplant in February 2017. During her treatment she also received more than 50 units of blood products that helped save her life. She is now seven years old and resides in Vancouver.
Markus Milcik
Markus Milcik was born in Surrey Memorial on November 10, 2014. After a day and a half, he slipped into a coma and started having seizures. No one at the hospital knew what was going on so he was transferred over to BC Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder called ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTC Deficiency). Markus was told that he did not have long to live. After five days of blood transfusions and hemodialysis and a liver transplant, he is now a healthy, silly, energetic, charismatic, and thriving eight-year-old.
Paul Sue
Paul Sue is a blood recipient who battled severe aplastic anemia which affects the body’s ability to produce blood cells. Over the course of treatment, Paul received over 100 blood and platelet transfusions. Like many people coping with medical conditions, he is very grateful to the strangers who donated blood to help save his life.
Joban Bal
Joban Bal is a UBC medical student from Surrey and Founder of One Blood For Life Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes blood and stem cell donations. Since the fall of 2015, Joban has rallied university and high school students from across the Lower Mainland to promote blood and stem cell donations. He has done so as a donor and a champion with the pledge-based Partners for Life (PFL) program that makes it easy for partners to record their contributions and donate as a team. The group of 430 volunteers has donated and recruited donors who have contributed over 3,650 units of blood and registered 1,760 new stem cell donation registrants.
Ways to donate
There are many ways to join Canada’s Lifeline and make all the difference. You can volunteer your time, give a one-time or recurring financial donation, organize group donations in collaboration with another organization or community, or even sponsor a donation event.
For more information and how you can help support Canadian Blood Services, visit blood.ca.
About Partners for Life
It takes a team to save lives. Across our country, Canadian Blood Services’ Partners for Life member organizations unite to raise awareness and funds, donate blood or plasma, or support the stem cell or organ donation registries that patients are counting on.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC and thousands of other Partner for Life teams across Canada help contribute more than 300,000 units of blood, plasma and platelets to Canada’s Lifeline every year. The efforts of these incredible teams make all the difference to patients and the families who love them.
