Hello fellow soccer players of the lower Vancouver Island area.

My name is Ryan Emo and I am the Vice-president of Castaways FC. Our club is striving to do more within the community and promote soccer on Vancouver Island, therefore we are officially throwing down the gauntlet of our first Blood Drive Challenge. I have been working with Canadian Blood services and the board of VISL to organize this, but do need help from within each club should you wish to take up the challenge. The premise is simple, each club will be given a week to have as many people donate blood in their name. This does not have to be players alone; coaches, parents, family members, friends can all take part. All one would have to do is organize a time within the allotted week, and state which club you are representing then donate blood.

As we all know, donating blood saves lives in many ways. I’m sure most of us have known someone who has been in need of blood at one time or another. Canadian Blood services are always in need of donations and this is a great way of the soccer community to give back.

This challenge will work best if we can have co-operation from within each club helping its promotion. All that this would entail would be,

1. Email reminders to players of the pending week
2. Space to set up a volunteer both within your clubs grounds, if possible, so Canadian Blood services can come and explain the process. Probably in September when the weather is still warm. A couple of volunteers would be great too.
3. A link set up on your clubs web-site so people can, with ease, book their time to donate.

There is a little more to donating blood than most of us would think so people need to be reminded and prompted.
The VISL board has stated that they will come up with a trophy that will be awarded at the banquet at year end. Canadian blood services would also be donating a certificate to the winners that could be hung in your club-house. So, if you could find it within your hearts, and veins and arteries, (sorry I couldn’t help myself) to accept this challenge we can begin to make it an annual event where the soccer community of the lower island can give back to the community.

If you have any questions please email me at fosterdog15@hotmail.com

Thank you for your time. Below is a tentative schedule

Ryan Emo

• Labour day weekend – Volunteer booth set up at the Castaways tournament
• Sept 13 Volunteer booth at Hampton park and Nanaimo home base
• Sept 20 Volunteer booth set up Tyndall park and Sherman park in Duncan
• Sept 27 Volunteer booth set up Braefoot park
• Oct 4-10 Castaways
• Oct 11-17 Gorge FC and Nanaimo FC
• Oct 18 24 Cowichan FC and Vic West
• Oct 25-31 Saanich Fusion
• Nov 1-7 Bays
• Nov 8-14 Lakehill
• Nov 15-21 Vantreights
• Nov 22-28 Juan de Fuca
• Nov 29-Dec 5 Vic Athletics
• Dec 6-12 Prospect Lake

Perhaps a second schedule could be made for the smaller clubs in the new year for a separate contest.