Muslim youth team with Canadian Blood Services for year-end blood drive

A Muslim youth organization teamed up with Canadian Blood Services to hold a New Year's Eve blood drive Tuesday

While some Calgarians were getting ready to ring in the New Year at parties on Tuesday, others were giving the gift of life.

Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association teamed up with Canadian Blood Servies for a blood drive Tuesday.

The countrywide drive aims to help fill the critical need for blood and the association has run the drive for more than 20 years.

About 100 people were expected to make donations.

Organizers said the event demonstrates the true meaning of Islam.

“In the Holy Qur’an, it states, ‘If you save one life, it is as if you’ve saved the whole of mankind,” said one organizer.

“And so the whole overall element behind this is that we’re effectively just demonstrating what Islam is all about.”

The mosque also runs a blood donation drive every Canada Day.