Edmonton’s blood banks are hurting for donors as new appointments trickle in during the holiday week.

“People get busy with their own lives, thinking about the holiday season,” said Deb Steele-Kretschmer, communications officer with Canadian Blood Services.

Deb Steele-Kretschmer says the province needs around 1,200 new donors a month to make up for aging blood donors. (CBC News)

She says donations slow down considerably during the holidays, putting a strain on Blood Services’ resources.

”The need is constant. Every minutes of every day, we have someone in Canada who needs blood.”

Steele-Kretschmer says, as of Monday, the clinic had booked less than half of the appointments it could handle.

The holiday slowdown is made worse by the fact that many of the province’s blood donors are aging, and there isn’t always enough younger donors to take their place, she said.

“In Alberta, we need around 1200 new donors every month,” she said.

“It costs nothing, it takes an hour of your time.”