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AIS - The Canadian Champion, Friday, February 17, 2006 OP~iNO Agency in need of new blood Strimîoer is traditionally a slows perood l'or hiomod dona- tions, lott a repoort lasi xeck indieatcd the Canadian lilood Services ((BS) os facing prohlcms moore serious thaîo a typo- cal suioonoier slowdowo. Accordiiog to ILBS polliiog, while a vast nunohcr of Canadians believe donating blood os a good thing (71 per cent) and many say they intend 10 donate (22 per cenit), only a small percentage actually give the gîft of fle. "The technîcal number lis 3.7 per cent of elîgible Canadoans actually donate," said Andreos Laycock of the CBS. That's embarrassing. Compared to other counînies, such as Australia and the United Kingdom on whîch 5-6.5 per cent of those eligible donate, Canada's numbers are shockingly poor. The best Canadians have ever done was hive per cent - during the Second World War! While the number of those donating bas actually climbed by .2 per cent in the past three years, it's obvious more people are needed to roll up their sleeves. What's even more distressîng 15 that, when the numbers are broken dossn by province. Ontanians are even less likely t0 give tban most other provinces. In Ontario, where the province us divided int regions, Toronto, wbich encompasses the GTA area, bas the lowest donation rate in Canada au 2.6 per cent. But tbe news gets even more ominous. The vast majority of those donating are baby boomers, meaning that the donation pooî Is aging. Whilc the CBS bas held recruilment drives at universîties and high sehools in recent years, young people need to understand the impor- tance of gising blood and just bow easy il ils to donate. To those young people who already donate, we applaud you. Please sprcad the word t0 your friends that blood us needed by people of aIl ages. Another conundrum faeing the CBS os that many people are repeat donors. Whilc tai. in itself, is goood ncws, ou means the (BS us rels'ing on the same people to keep donatong. What ut ail bouls dnoosýn io os thoe faci the C3S tîotld tise neos llood'- for the henefot of ail of us. ,\ blousd cinnor cîtot imil he field -\ugust f17 .ît fic \Miltn Setonrs, i\ciusiy Cetore. 500 Chlilds Dr_. hoiso 2 tsi 8 o.îoo C toc reitl\tsohere's a speetal roeed loir 0) oegatis e dînonts l book an alootiientoo dsoate cal] 1-888-2 36-(-28 3 Readers Write Send your letters to moltonnf@haltonsarchom or dîrop themn off at 875 Mamn St. E. Support has been overwhelming DEAR EDITOR: No one will ever have more to sa>' about our small town than the Grant family of White Drive. \Vc as a fatooly arc so privilcgcd to have chosscn ibis plae to bc our home fior 27 y cars. Afier expcrocneînig a dev- astaiing hronie lore fasi o wee. ose as a fnlshalle hect ix n'croshIclioec hs tihe sulpport ose ha\ecec \ll of uis tan* i heve hosi \o sider- ti licmpfecean 'loc To ail involved in the rescue of our preelous Mattbew, we're flot sure whaî to say but we must tell you ail that we are as a family forever indebted 10 you. The (aranis osili bc haek. otîr home osili be rehuolo and our love for Milton and osur fosse for our neaighhours aînd frtends osîlllie c r gois jos av. Thankl o t-i eroie so iosiepdoson ioget s oltit supporti THE GRANT FAMILY MILTON Zbet C~anabiarn Qbiampion Milton% Cominunliy Newspaper Oince 1860 875 MainSt. E., Milton, Ont. L9T 3Z3 905-878-2341 Editorial Fax: 905-878-4943 Advertising Fax: 905-876-2364 Classified:905-875-3300 Circulation: 905-878-5947 wjww.mittoncanadianchaonpion.com Publisher: Ian Oliver Associate Publisher Heil Oliver Advertluing Director Wendy McNab Managing Editor Karen Micelo Production Manager TMm Coles Circulation Manager Charlene Hall Office Manager Teri Casas The Canadian Champion, publislts eveey Tumsday and Fiday ait 875 Main St E., Milton, Ont, LÇIT 3Z3, ns one cf the Metroland Pinting, Publishing & Distnibuting Ltd. communuty newspape. i.déersieq n acceptaS on tise conition tisai, in tise evast of a iypcqiapial essor, tisaiporton ni tihe adi sicqpace onped Sa tihe esinenus remn. togetses set a seasonale aiinwance for sgna- ture, selli chati fored5,isbut the balance oftine aaenanct wll be paSd foi ai the apicable rate, The publisSes fseess the figst ta nategonze advertseeets os dledie. CCAB Audited 'Oeccîsnzecî tor esci'tieccce loy Otario Commosity ocn tNoîspapes Associatos C *'NA ad (A Nospapen Assut,or, EMi"tor'sdesk Councillor Curti's, Father Mark', turned 50 in style When 1 turn 50, 1 don't think l'Il be announcing it. In fact, I think l'il just be trying to forget it. But for someone else I know, the mile- atone presented an opportunity to make a contribution to his communîty with the help of others. 1cm talking about Mark Curtis, well known to us as 'Canada's Singing Priest' and Milton councillor. A few weeks ago he and bis lovely wife .Rita hosted a 50th birthday party to raise money for the Milton District Hospital Foundation's $3.5 million campaign to pur- chase a CT scanner - equipment com- monly used to diagnose things like cancer and heart conditions. The event was held in the beautiful country setting of Springer House in Burlington. We Ah know Milton Councillor Mike Boughton recently raised money for the and father of 'the Great One' Walter cause by shaving his head prior 10 surgery Gretzky -made for an interesting and to, have a brain tumour removed, entertaining evening. as well as through his annual My husband Frank and 1 Golfing 4 Cancer event. enjoyed dmnner with our table The Curtis family had their -conopanions, former Halton own famuly health-care scare that *e_ý His Mayor Kathy Gastie and led themt to, realize the need for a her husband George. CT scanner in Milton. O" f course, the evening Currently any local resident wouldn't have been thse same if who needs a CT scan muat go 10 Father Mark badn't sang, Oakville and thse wait times are which he did in a wonderful long. duet with New Life Pentecostal The evenîng led by master of Church music director Esther Kessier. ceremonies Mayor Gord Krantz was not AIl in all, with guests making donations only for a great cause, it was a lot of fun. in lieu of birthday gifîs. the event collected Celebrity guests - world famous for- more than $5,000 for thse CT scanner cam- .mer jockey Sandy Hawley along with for- paign. which has now raised just over a mer NHL goaltending giant Johnny Bower million. That's something to be proud of. Salin Heallissare LI/ELaoMN Jingle Bell Fonid UNITED WAY OF MILTON TY AOCTION ÀTHENA S S M o Showease M i t on GA IAV MILTON SANTA CLAUS PARADE