SURREY — The 16th annual Sikh Nation Blood Donation campaign happens this weekend.
Each year, the Sikh community in B.C. rallies to donate blood in memory of the victims of the genocide of Sikhs in Delhi in November of 1984.
As part of the campaign, a clinic in Surrey, at 15285 101st Ave., will collect blood donations on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Organizers say the annual campaign, done in partnership with Canadian Blood Services, has "helped save 104,000 Canadian lives since its inception in 1999."
In 2014, the campaign yielded approximately 2,300 units of blood and the Canadian Blood Services welcomed nearly 400 new donors.
"While we honour the victims of this horrific and horrible loss of innocent life in Delhi, we are undertaking a campaign to save lives, the lives of our fellow Canadians, who will directly benefit from the blood donated by the community," said Tera Singh of Sikh Nation.
In November 1984, more than 8,000 Sikhs were killed as violent mobs targeted Sikhs living in Delhi and other parts of India.