WINDSOR – Recognizing Canadian Blood Services’ severe shortage of blood, Canadian Muslims in Windsor have decided to arrange their celebrations of Canada’s 150 anniversary with an ambitious blood drive that aims to deliver 150 pints of blood.

“It’s an ambitious goal, I have to admit,” said Dr. Maher El-Masri, chair of the Windsor Islamic Council, Blackburn News reported.

“I think it’s realistic especially that we’ve given ourselves a good five weeks to make the push for it.”

El-Masri says the Muslim community held a similar drive last winter where he says at least 50 units were donated to the Canadian Blood Services.

The campaign, which runs from August 15-17, is organized by Windsor Islamic Council and Canadian Blood Services.

Along with those donating blood, El-Masri said they would need volunteer drivers to take people to the Canadian Blood Services facility on Grand Marais Blvd. and back to the mosque.

“Unfortunately, with a change in the approach to those blood drives, it’s become a little bit of a struggle because we used to have them on-site,” he said.

“Now we don’t have this leverage. We have to get people to go to the facility, and that becomes a little bit of an obstacle for some people.”