Penhold blood drive in honour of local Guinness World Record holder

In honour of Penhold resident Josephine Michaluk’s world record achievement, the Town of Penhold is launching the inaugural Penhold Cares Campaign for blood donation in conjunction with Canadian Blood Services.

Over the last 5 decades, Michaluk has continued to give blood as often as she could. “I just feel so good after,” says Michaluk. There were times over the years she was unable to donate, due to pregnancies or surgeries, but on September 30, 2022 she rolled up her sleeve to give her 203 unit of blood and set a new world record for the “Most Whole Blood Donated (female).”

This month, the Penhold resident will give her 209 donation at the Canadian Blood Services Donation Centre in Red Deer. Having been a recipient of blood herself, Michaluk urges everyone to give blood if they are able. “You don’t know when you are going to need blood. Even if you just donate once, you get a card with your blood type on it. If you need blood, they know you blood type,” she says.

The Penhold Cares Central Alberta Community Blood Drive Challenge will run February 1 to 29. For many years Michaluk would travel into Innisfail to attend the mobile clinics at the Innisfail Legion. Mobile clinics have now been discontinued by Canadian Blood Services making Red Deer the donation centre for Central Alberta.

The Town of Penhold is challenging all Central Alberta residents to make an appointment and give blood at the Canadian Blood Services donation centre in Red Deer this month. Anyone who donates blood in February will be able to indicate which of 6 zones they are from to see which area of Central Alberta had the most donors.

“We are all excited to have a Penhold resident accomplish such a tremendous feat, and further to be recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records. We are proud to honour Josephine with the Penhold Cares Campaign,” Penhold Mayor Mike Yargeau says. “We are encouraging residents of Penhold, and Central Alberta, to head into Red Deer and donate blood this month. To make things a little more fun, we are challenging all other areas of Central Alberta to see which region can bring in the most donors this month.”

According to Canadian Blood Services, the Red Deer Donor Centre needs to collect 1,224 units of blood in February 2024 to keep up with current hospital demands.
The Red Deer Donor Centre is located at #5 5020 68th Street and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:00pm – 7:00pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.

Make your appointment to donate blood online at blood.ca or through the GiveBlood app.