NotJustYou holds its first Black History Month group blood donation in Edmonton

On Saturday, February 21, NotJustYou held its first Black History Month Group Blood Donation at a Canadian Blood Services donor centre in Edmonton. Donors gave blood together, as one team.

Group donations are not new for NotJustYou, which held them in 2024 and during Sickle Cell Awareness Month in 2025. Registrants doubled from 2024 to 2025, a milestone NotJustYou announced at The Kickback in September 2025, and this was the first group donation held for Black History Month.

Why matched blood matters for sickle cell

More than 6,000 people in Canada live with sickle cell disease, and blood transfusions are part of care for many of them. According to Canadian Blood Services, 15,000 units of blood are transfused each year to people in Canada living with sickle cell disease, and they often rely on blood from donors of similar ancestry.

Each transfusion exposes the body to donor antigens, and a mismatch can trigger antibodies that make compatible blood harder to find next time. Canadian Blood Services reports that people with sickle cell disease are 10 times more likely to develop antibodies to donor antigens, and that fewer than 25 per cent of current donors share a similar ancestry to most people living with sickle cell.

That is why NotJustYou stresses that ethnically matched blood is critical for people with sickle cell who rely on transfusions. Every donor from African, Caribbean and Black communities helps close the gap.

A donor centre turned community space

The donor centre carried Canadian Blood Services’ “Who’s saving who?” and #CanadasLifeline campaign materials. Canadian Blood Services launched “Who’s saving who?” in May 2025, alongside a goal of one million new donors over five years, and built it around the idea that giving runs both ways, with donors gaining a sense of purpose and connection.

The day bore that out. In NotJustYou’s words, “a donor centre became a third space for community,” as donors and supporters talked, celebrated and spent time together in the waiting area. The group also gathered with their signs for a photo.

For one donor, the day was a 15th donation milestone. That kind of steady, repeat giving is what people who need regular transfusions depend on, because the need for blood is ongoing.

Part of a three-part initiative

The group donation was the Black History Month part of a three-part initiative between NotJustYou and Canadian Blood Services. It began at The Afro-Jazz Experience on January 24, NotJustYou’s seventh-year celebration, and it includes a national digital campaign sharing the stories of donors and recipients.

Join NotJustYou’s Partners for Life team

NotJustYou donates as a team through Canadian Blood Services’ Partners for Life program. Every donation made under the team name counts toward the team’s total, whether you book with the group or on your own. If you have already donated this year, joining the team counts those donations too, back to January 1.

1. Create an account on blood.ca or in the GiveBlood app.
2. Select Partners from the menu, then choose Join a team.
3. Search for NotJustYou and select the team.
4. Book an appointment with the team or as an individual.

Check your eligibility with Canadian Blood Services before you book. In Quebec, blood donation is managed by Héma-Québec.

If you cannot give blood

There are other ways to help. People aged 17 to 35 can join Canadian Blood Services’ stem cell registry (Héma-Québec in Quebec), and anyone can encourage a friend or family member to book a first donation. Find more ways to help on our blood and stem cell donation page.