Media Release: COG Blood Drive
Asset finance heavyweight urges broking and lending community to share their greatest asset and save Aussie lives
Australia’s largest asset finance aggregator, COG Aggregation and the company’s Strategic Partnerships business, Platform Finance, are calling on their brokers, lenders and staff members to share their greatest asset: blood. In the process, around 200 Aussie lives could be saved, thanks to COG’s partnership with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. The COG Blood Drive is being held between February and June this year, and those in the industry are encouraged to join the COG Aggregation Lifeblood Team.
It’s a cause close to the heart of one of COG’s team members, Darren Driscoll, who helped inspire COG to join forces with Lifeblood. “I’ve been a long-time donor of whole blood and plasma (to date I’ve made 45 donations), and I discovered the benefits first-hand, when I needed blood donations while receiving treatment for Medullary Thyroid Cancer,” explains Darren, Business Support Manager at the Platform Finance processing centre in Mildura. “I required transfusions during two surgeries I needed, the first in 2012 and the second in 2015. I’ve been relatively lucky I didn’t have to rely so much on transfusions, unlike with some cancers, but I am so thankful to the donors who allowed me to benefit from these vital donations.”
During his cancer treatment, Darren couldn’t make donations, but since his recovery he has made 20 donations. “I also began donating plasma – considered by those in the medical industry as “liquid life” – two years ago and have donated six times since then. One in three Australians will need blood or blood products in their lifetime to get through a serious event in their lives, like cancer. But sadly, only 3% of us donate. It’s quick and painless and I urge others in the broking and lending industry to roll up their sleeves and visit one of the many blood bank centres, plasma donation centres, or mobile units scattered across the country. You never know whose life you might be saving.”
Adds Ryan Young, CEO of COG Broking and Aggregation, “Blood donation has touched the lives of numerous people within our business, as it has with most Australians. When the opportunity arose to establish a corporate program, we knew we were in a position to do even more. The Asset Finance industry has a unique sense of community and we’re privileged to work with a large portion of its members. We’re hoping to leverage the power of this amazing network and tap into what makes it so special. Every drop counts. In fact, one blood donation can save up to three lives. So, let’s join forces and save lives together.”
Damian Mantini, Platform Finance’s Head of Strategic Partnerships, is urging those who get on board to “provide proof”. “Encourage your colleagues, family members, friends to take photos when donating blood and share on social media. Let’s make it go viral to help drive even more donations!” he says. “I also urge donors to share stories about how blood donations have helped save the life of themselves or those close to them.”
Lifeblood’s Ashleigh Hales says industry-based blood drives “are a powerful way to unite workplaces in a common cause and foster team spirit and community impact”. “In FY22 Lifeblood Teams contributed more than 560,000 donations, which is 36.4% of all donations! By organising blood drives within specific industries, we can harness collective commitment, making a significant contribution to saving lives through ‘healthy competition’ and promoting a culture of altruism in professional settings,” she says.
To join the COG Lifeblood Team, just register an individual account or log in at www.lifeblood.com.au. Simply click the ‘Login/Register’ icon on the top right of the homepage, and then you’ll be guided through the process. To join one of the COG Lifeblood teams, click on My Details in your account and add your preferred team name under Manage Preferences. During the COG Blood Drive, all donors will go into monthly draws to win great monthly prizes. There is one entry for every blood, plasma or platelet donation. “Even if you’re not part of the COG network, we encourage everyone to get involved and use #AssetFinanceBloodDrive to help push the message throughout the industry,” concludes Young.
To find out where you can donate, head to https://www.lifeblood.com.au/donor-centre or call 13 14 95.
Every drop counts
Have you ever wondered how blood donations get used? Here’s a breakdown of where blood donations in Australia are needed most.
- 34% Cancer and blood diseases.
- 19% Anaemia and other needs.
- 18% Heart, organ and other non-orthopaedic surgeries.
- 13% Stomach, kidney and other diseases.
- 10% Fractures and joint replacement.
- 4% Helping pregnant women, new mothers, young children.
- 2% Road incidents and other trauma.