Ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend, Canadian Blood Services is putting an urgent call out to donors.

Spokesperson Deb Steele-Kretschmer says the need for blood is constant throughout the country, but this time of year the need increases.

“October is a time when we traditionally need to collect about 12 per cent more  blood donations because of increased demand from hospitals for blood and blood products,” says Steele-Kretschmer. “We know that every 60 seconds someone in Canada is in need of blood products.”

From start to finish, it’s take less than an hour to give blood, including an initial test to ensure you’re a healthy candidate.     

14,000 donor appointments still need to be booked nationwide over the holiday weekend which has sparked a Twitter campaign called #14000thankyous.

To learn more or book an appointment call 1-888-2-DONATE or visit www.blood.ca.