For the second year in a row the group of young people decided to donate blood on the traditionally spooky night.

Erika Savage from Hastings Rotaract said the event – this year held on October 30 – had been well attended by the group.

“We did the same thing last year for the first time and it went really well,” Erika said.

“This year we dressed up again but the Blood Centre went all out with themed food and decorations which was really great.

“I think we all wanted to do something like this because you never know when you might be in a position to need blood and coming together was a great club activity.”

She said the club have already got plans in place for another themed blood drive.

“Donating blood is pretty simple to do and doing it in a group is great idea because we are all together,” she said.

“As a group we would like to thank the Red Cross Blood Service for getting really involved and making the organising process really easy and we are already planning a Valentine’s Day drive.”

One in three people will need blood or blood products in their lifetime but only one in 30 donates each year.

Stuart Ward, community relations officer with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service in Port Macquarie praised the efforts of Hastings Rotaract.

“We find that groups of people are always more willing to come in together and donate blood,” Mr Ward said.

“People often find it hard to come in by themselves for a range of reasons and one of the biggest is a fear of needles. However coming in a group makes the experience a lot less scary and with support around you people are more willing to get involved.

“We are so grateful for clubs like Hastings Rotaract who have come and made a night out of giving blood.” 

Mr Ward said blood donations are always needed and encourages everyone who can donate to come and book and appointment. 

“The demand for blood is always there and sometimes our regular donors can’t donate for some reason so it is really important that people think about donating,” he said.

“Bring your friends and make a group. We are opened six days a week but if groups want to make a time to come in we can be flexible with our opening times to accommodate them.”

To book an appointment to donate head to the website or call 13 14 95.

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.