After attending a special event in Ottawa, Karanvir Gill says he’s now even more inspired to recruit blood donors and help drive for donations.
The Newton resident was awarded for his work as a peer recruiter during Honouring Canada’s Lifeline, an annual ceremony hosted by Canadian Blood Services to honour milestone donors, community leaders and volunteers.
Gill is the co-founder and president of Lifestream BC, a non-profit organization run by university and high school students as a way to raise awareness and funds for childhood diseases.
From Sept. 22 to 24, Gill and a couple dozen other award-winners were toured around Ottawa and feted during a reception.
“Everyone talked about their personal stories, so I heard all these inspiring stories,” Gill said of the award event. “They made me feel like I was super special and did something incredible,” he added. “For me, it was a highlight of my work doing this.”
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Gill, a Tamanawis Secondary grad, began working at the CBS clinic in Guildford three years ago, and saw a need to get younger people to donate blood. Now 21, he studies at UBC, leads Lifestream BC and does other volunteer work.
“Passionate about giving young people an opportunity to give selflessly, Karanvir and his team of volunteers have supported multiple blood donation recruitment events in locations across the Greater Vancouver area,” says a bio posted to blood.ca. “A true leader with a calm and happy spirit, Karanvir easily engages with and trains his volunteers to be enthusiastic recruiters.”
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