WESTERN Power aims to topple the Water Corporation this year to become the undisputed corporate champions of blood donations in Western Australia, and launched its blood drive today in Perth.
The blood feud is part of the annual Australian Red Cross Blood Service Red25 blood donation challenge that puts companies and businesses across the state in fierce competition to ensure stocks of blood and associated blood products are at a safe level.
Western Power executive manager of asset operations Dave Fyfe is the driver behind the utility’s entry into the challenge.
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READ NOWAs a survivor of the 2002 Bali terror attacks and board member of the Fiona Wood Foundation, he has a profound understanding of how important blood donations are in saving lives.
Mr Fyfe said he owes his life to the hundreds of people who lined up at Royal Perth Hospital to donate blood that was used during emergency operations following the attacks, and this was his way of supporting the community that saved his life.
“We are putting the call out at a time when the Blood Service is urging people with the O-Negative and O-Positive blood types to roll up their sleeves and give blood as the nation’s reserve slips to just two days’ supply,” Mr Fyfe said.
“Donating blood is one time you can confidently say ‘I did something to save another person’s life’.”
Water Corporation has been at the top of the Red25 table for the last six years, and Mr Fyfe’s counterpart at Water Corporation, general manager of the operations group Mike Andrews, accepted the challenge.
Mr Andrews said Water Corporation is a proactive member of the community and takes donating blood very seriously, helping to save more than 9000 lives since 2011.
“One of our values at Water Corporation is ‘Think Safe, Act Safe’ and in support of our focus on safety and wellbeing, it is fantastic to know that we have helped to save the lives of three people each time we donate blood,” Mr Andrews said.
“So far this year our employees have made 224 donations, saving 672 lives.”
Western Power and Water Corporation’s flexible and supportive workplaces allow employees to donate during work hours, to give life-saving and much needed blood.
Together, all Red25 corporate teams are working towards contributing 25 per cent of Australia’s blood supply.
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