Bleed Green, save lives

The Saskatchewan Roughriders know that their loyal fan base always bleeds green. For the fourth year in the row, the club is asking fans across the province to continue bleeding in support of the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) through the Bleed Green campaign.

By donating at a clinic in Saskatchewan before Oct. 24, fans can help the CBS collect the more than 4,000 blood donations it needs for Saskatchewan patients each month and enter to win a pair of tickets to the 2013 Grey Cup in Regina.

During the kick-off ceremony this year, Rider president and CEO Jim Hopson said the team is now a CBS partner for life, committing to give blood annually as a team. There are 300 other partner organizations across the province.

“For our first year, we’ve pledged 505 blood donations — or 101 blood donations a month during the Bleed Green campaign — in honour of the 101st Grey Cup,” Hopson said. “We don’t have enough arms to do this alone. We need our Rider faithful to give blood, if you can, and tell everyone you know to join us in helping save lives by Bleeding Green.”

Blood donations will help those like Mitchell Bossaer, who was diagnosed at the age of 13 with osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that most commonly affects teenagers. He received 24 blood transfusions during his treatment. Bossaer lost a leg due to the cancer, but maintains an active lifestyle today, playing for the Canadian junior men’s wheelchair basketball team. He will lead the Canadian flag during the Riders’ home opener against the Calgary Stampeders on July 5.

“I want to thank blood donors for giving me a life after cancer,” Bossaer said. “There’s truly no other way to put itT I would not be where I am today without blood donors.”