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Rams come out on top of Blood for Balls Challenge

Mount Douglas among six B.C. high school football coaching staffs to donate blood
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Mark Townsend, program coordinator for the Mount Douglas Rams, stands in front of the Canadian Blood Services van after donating blood. (Devon Bidal/News Staff)

When the Mount Douglas Secondary football coaches heard that the Canadian Blood Services was in need of blood this summer, they decided to take action and donate.

The coaching staff also extended a challenge to their main competition in the Lower Mainland and asked the coaching staff from those high schools to consider donating blood too.

Five teams accepted Mount Douglas Secondary’s challenge, said Mark Townsend, program coordinator for the Mount Douglas Rams.

The competition ran from throughout the month of July, and in that time 26 coaches from the various schools donated blood.

The football coaching staff from Mount Douglas blew the competition away with nine coaches donating blood. Centennial Secondary and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary each had three coaches donate, Carson Graham Secondary had one, New Westminster Secondary had five and Terry Fox Secondary had four coaches and one “team mom” donate.

READ ALSO: Blood For Balls Challenge extended by Mount Douglas Secondary football coaches

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As an incentive, the head coach from New Westminster Secondary, Farhan Lalji, contacted a representative from Baden Football to ask if the company would donate balls to the top three teams. They agreed to give one ball per coach to the winning teams, said Townsend. That’s how the Blood for Balls Challenge was born.

Once the scores had been tabulated, Townsend announced the top three teams. Mount Douglas Secondary came first, New Westminster Secondary came second and Terry Fox Secondary came third with the extra boost from team mom, Becky Savery.

Townsend is grateful to everyone who donated blood for the challenge and in turn save lives.

“We would love to make this a great annual event, all for a great deed,” he said. “We can grow the challenge and encourage all our high school football programs throughout B.C. to participate and donate blood for years to come.”

The Canadian Blood Services is always looking for blood donations, monetary donations and volunteers. For more information, visit their website.


@devonscarlett
devon.bidal@saanichnews.com

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