Celebrating the 20th anniversary of our partnership with Sikh Nation

Sikh Nation events
Sikh Nation events in Abbotsford, Calgary, Surrey and Brampton

Since that inaugural event, Sikh Nation have helped save over 140,000 lives through national donation events reaching from Vancouver to Ottawa. They are now the largest Partners for Life (PFL) donor group in the B.C. and Yukon region. During their campaign in 2019, Sikh Nation participated in 22 donor events in 18 cities, helping them surpass their national goal of donating 2,600 units of blood.

Sikh Nation donors are committed to supporting patients and Canada’s Lifeline. Sixty percent of their donations each year happen outside of November, as many of their members are regular donors. In addition, their youth are actively engaged in promoting the stem cell registry to younger members.

Sukhdeep with his family
Sukhdeep Singh with his family.  Left to right : Gurkeerat Singh (son), Swaran Kaur (wife) and Harkeerat Singh donating blood (son).

Sukhdeep Singh has been a lead with the Sikh Nation donor initiative since its inception. On Nov. 2, he chose to celebrate his 50th birthday while observing Sikh Nation’s 20th anniversary at Vancouver’s Oak Street donor centre. “We want to commemorate those who lost their lives by helping to save lives,” he said. Sukhdeep donated blood with his wife, Swaran Kaur, and their sons Harkeerat Singh and Gurkeerat Singh.

The Sikh Nation (Sikh Quom) around the world reaches out and embraces the vision that all humans should live a safe and happy life. Their annual blood donation campaign in November represents a look to the past and a view to the future, coming together as humans around the world.

“The campaign is designed to bring people together by saving the lives of our fellow Canadians,” says Jastej Kaur of Blood Donation by Sikh Nation. “Through this partnership, the Sikh community in Canada has come out in droves and many have gone on to become regular blood donors.”

“We need thousands of new donors each year and recruiting people from diverse communities is important to help us reach this goal,” says David Patterson, director of donor relations in the B.C. and Yukon region for Canadian Blood Services. “This community’s contribution to Canada’s blood supply is very much appreciated and has helped many patients living with a variety of conditions.”