Canadian Blood Services is pleading for donors to attend its clinic Monday in Steinbach. Spokesperson Steve Raizen says even though Monday is considered a statutory holiday, the need for donors is critical.

"Summer is a challenging time of the year to keep up with patient demand. With people away and busy with other activities, there tend to be fewer blood donations during the summer and even more around long weekends. Some of our regular donors are away or busy with family activities, so we're encouraging others to step up in their place and come out and donate blood."

Raizen says the need for blood never goes away as hospital patients, people in cancer treatment and those having surgeries require blood no matter what day it is.

He notes while about half of Canadians meet the criteria to give blood, only a very small number do so.

"What we have found is most people don't donate because they didn't know that there was a need or nobody ever asked them. So, consider this a request to give blood. About half of Canadians are eligible to donate and half of us will know somebody who will need blood or blood products in their lifetime. Only one in 60 Canadians, about four per cent of the population, donates so we're trying to bridge that gap."

Raizen urges those in the 96 per cent of non-donors to give it a go Monday. The clinic takes place at Steinbach Mennonite Church from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.