Laurier alumni Milne Oakes (BA ’73) and Mary Lou Oakes (BA ’70) have completed over 260 blood donations and are still motivated to give back. The couple recently returned to campus as volunteers for the Giving is Golden blood drive, supporting Canadian Blood Services.

Milne Oakes and his wife, Mary Lou, were students at Wilfrid Laurier University in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it was still called Waterloo Lutheran University. The Laurier graduates are longtime blood donation volunteers, and together they have each made more than 100 life-saving blood donations.

Milne believes that for those who are able, giving blood is a wonderful thing to do, as one donation can help three different people. Milne’s father regularly donated blood, and that helped him learn the importance of helping others from an early age. Milne made his first donation as a student at Stratford Teachers’ College at the age of 19 and has made 160 donations so far.

Milne’s dedication and commitment further inspired Mary Lou to try donating again. Both Milne and Mary Lou were told they had small veins, which could limit their ability to give blood, so they started preparing for their donations very seriously by drinking plenty of water ahead of time and being well rested. Mary Lou has made 107 life-saving donations, while Milne recently made his 161st donation on Aug. 3.

Both Milne and Mary Lou are valued ambassadors of Canadian Blood Services’ mission and have inspired hundreds with their contributions.

Laurier University has been a member of Canadian Blood Services’ Partners for Life program since 2010 and has contributed more than 5,000 donations. This year, the university has pledged 475 donations, which have been generously supported by faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Source: Wilfrid Laurier University