CHL Celebrates World Blood Donor Day & National Blood Donor Week
The CHL is proud to recognize and celebrate the many past and present CHL Player Ambassadors for the non-profit organization Hockey Gives Blood that has partnered with Canadian Blood Services [and Canada Life] to engage and educate the hockey community on the importance of blood and stem cell donations. This year, over 30 CHL clubs and Player Ambassadors supported Hockey Gives Blood and Canadian Blood Services.
Each year, the Dayna Brons Honourary Award is presented to an individual from Canada’s hockey community who exhibits outstanding dedication toward patients who rely on blood and stem cell products in Canada. This individual must be deemed to have made a significantly positive impact regarding the awareness and necessity of Canada’s Lifeline.
In 2021, Braden Hache of the Kingston Frontenacs received the Dayna Brons Honourary Award and a $5,000 educational bursary courtesy of Canada Life. Two other CHL Player Ambassadors were also nominated: Logan Nijhoff (Regina Pats) and Tristan De Jong (Moncton Wildcats). Hache joins past award winners Matthew Welsh (Charlottetown Islanders) and Jacob Ingham (Mississauga Steelheads).
Its namesake, Dayna Brons, was the Humboldt Broncos’ athletic therapist who died from injuries sustained in the team’s 2018 bus crash that killed 16 people. She was a frequent blood donor and received transfusions after the crash before dying five days later.
Among the CHL faces inviting the hockey community to get involved includes Logan Nijhoff (Regina Pats), Liam Peyton (Halifax Mooseheads), Brayden Schmitt (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada), Alex Kannock (Vancouver Giants), Logan Stankoven (Kamloops Blazers), Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton Oil Kings), Reid Valade (Kitchener Rangers), and Dylan Garand (Kamloops Blazers).
Presenting the 2020/21 nominees for the Dayna Brons Honorary Award:
–@LoganNijhoff | @WHLPats
–@BradenHache | @KingstonFronts
–@dscdejong3 | @monctonwildcats
Winner to receive a $5,000 bursary while each runner up receives $1,500, courtesy of @canadalifeco . @CanadasLifeline pic.twitter.com/TnzftFcWo2— Hockey Gives Blood (@hkygivesblood) May 25, 2021
The winner of the 2020/21 Dayna Brons Honorary Award is @BradenHache of the @KingstonFronts . Braden also receives a $5000 educational bursary courtesy of @canadalifeco . Congratulations Braden! @OHLHockey @CHLHockey @CanadasLifeline pic.twitter.com/2BwnxTz6vu
— Hockey Gives Blood (@hkygivesblood) June 1, 2021
Remember the number 42. The significance is best explained by Player Ambassador Logan Nijhoff and his teammates of the @WHLPats ! @TheWHL @CHLHockey @CanadasLifeline
🎥: #KyleWalker , @RykerEvans01 , @DrewEnglot , #ConnorBedard @LoganNijhoff .
Brought to you by @canadalifeco pic.twitter.com/kn7fXN6XmH
— Hockey Gives Blood (@hkygivesblood) June 7, 2021
Hockey Gives Blood and Canadian Blood Services work tirelessly to match patients in need of stem cell transplants with donors from as many ethnic and diverse backgrounds as possible while also inviting others to donate blood.
To find out more about how you can get involved, please visit Canadian Blood Services and Hockey Gives Blood.