Join the battle for blood!

"HEMA for Hemoglobin" (H4H) is a new initiative to help Canadians stay in fighting form! 🩸

Canadians need blood, plasma, stem cell, and organ/tissue donors to help save and improve lives. You can help support the Canadian Blood Services by becoming a blood donor and joining the HEMA for Hemoglobin team, or by raising awareness in your own HEMA community!

And this crowdfunding campaign will help us make more of an impact, together. Your sponsorship will help us send promotional materials to events and clubs across Canada — getting the word out and increasing engagement on the front lines!

Why does encouraging blood donations matter?

Every day, thousands of Canadians depend on donated blood for survival, yet only a fraction of eligible donors give. The challenge isn’t just eligibility — it’s awareness.

Half of all Canadians will either need blood or know someone who will need blood at some point in their lives. Yet only 4% of eligible Canadians donate. This has led to a national shortage where we are at serious risk of not meeting the demand — a shortage we estimate would be fixed if as few as 8% of eligible people donated. But that means finding over 100,000 new regular donors every year.

Most people say they've never been directly asked to donate blood. It's one of the leading reasons for people not donating, but one of the easiest obstacles to overcome.

So that’s what H4H is here to help with. We want to find positive ways to unobtrusively ask people to donate or spread the word — starting with our friends across the HEMA community. 

How does this crowdfunding campaign help?

This funding project helps on multiple fronts!

With your support, we plan to create and distribute 100 pairs of H4H-themed fencing socks — serving as both a call-to-action and a badge of honor for committed donors. These socks will be used as event prizes, incentives for repeat donors, and conversation starters that keep the cause top of mind.

Moreover, through our partnership with manufacturer Sock Rocket, for every one pair of socks we receive, three additional pairs will be donated to shelters and agencies across Canada that provide clothing to those in need — creating a ripple effect of generosity.

We will also be printing patches, posters, business cards, and other promotional material to make it easier for event organizers and H4H supporters to create strong impressions, helping to market our cause.

*Click Here to see a sample of the sock design (please note the final product will be knee-high socks)

Where does the money go?

Our total cost for 100 pairs of custom H4H knee socks, and 300 pairs of donated socks for charity, is $1,525.50 (including HST).

Funds will also be allocated to the costs of printing promotional materials, including patches, posters, and business cards (~250$ of the budget).

~$100 is budgeted to cover the cost of Stripe's payment processing fees.

Finally, the remaining funds will be used to cover the cost of shipping the items mentioned above to H4H supporters, clubs, and event organizers across Canada (~$225 of the budget).

We cannot give specific amounts for the shipping and promotional item costs until the campaign has concluded, as there is always a possibility of either not meeting our campaign goal, or having to cover the cost of refunds. We will scale our production and shipping based on the success of the campaign to make sure every penny is spent on expanding our reach in Canada.

What if you raise more or less than your goal?

In the event we have surplus funds, it will be used to create additional promotional products and cover the shipping costs to continue distributing them across Canada.

As long as the campaign raises enough to cover the cost of the socks, we will proceed and do our best to cover additional costs out of pocket. We care about this cause too, and want to make sure our collective effort makes a difference, big or small.

If we do not meet the sock goal, the money will be put aside as we continue to fundraise via other means. If we aren't able to reach the sock goal in a year's time, we will use the funds collected to purchase as many patches, business cards, and posters as we can and distribute them.

What is HEMA?

HEMA stands for Historical European Martial Arts. It's one of the world's fastest growing hobbies, with people coming together to study the practice of real combat from the Medieval and Renaissance periods (and sometimes later) through texts and manuscripts left behind by the masters of those times.

There are thousands of practitioners in Canada, across an expanding number of clubs and schools. There are lots of larger events and meetups held on a regular basis, too — which is one of the ways we want to spread the word. By sponsoring events with our fencing socks as door prizes or tournament rewards, we’ll open the door to make our message heard by the HEMA community and beyond.

Can I support the cause if I don’t do HEMA?

Of course!

Can I support the cause without donating to this crowdfunding campaign?

Absolutely!

Our ultimate goal is to encourage more people to become regular blood donors. If you aren’t interested in or aren’t able to support this campaign financially, then please consider taking the time to donate blood at a Canadian Blood Services clinic near you!

And if you are unable to donate blood yourself, then taking time to share the cause on social media, or to talk to your friends, family, and clubmates about it, can make all the difference. ❤️

Can I donate without paying FreeFunder's platform fees?

Yes!

That's one of the main reason's we've partnered with FreeFunder. During your checkout process, you can click on the "recommended donation to FreeFunder" link just below your donation total and adjust it to any amount you feel you would like to give — even $0!

Otherwise, 100% of your proceeds will go directly to this campaign.

Alternatively, you can support us directly via e-transfer to [email protected] with no fees at all!

I want to give blood, how do I join the H4H team?

1️⃣ Go to Blood.ca

2️⃣ Create an account with Canadian Blood Services

3️⃣ Join the "HEMA for Hemoglobin" team

4️⃣ Book an appointment at your local donor centre

You can also follow this link to join the team automatically

Every time you donate or spread the word, we get closer to our annual team blood donation goal!

Where will you share updates about the campaign?

You can follow HEMA for Hemoglobin’s Facebook page here

We will also keep donors informed via email through FreeFunder itself.

I am in Québec, can I still be involved?

Québec has its own blood donation program, managed by an organization called Héma-Québec. Your blood donations with them will not count towards our team donation goal with Canadian Blood Services, but we still encourage everyone to give when and where they are able!

Regardless of location, you are still invited to support our cause by sponsoring this crowdfunding campaign, or by sharing the HEMA for Hemoglobin cause with your friends, family, and clubmates.

Who is in charge of this campaign?

Dan Niznik is the H4H Champion. Based out of Ironwood Sword School in Ontario, he has been training in HEMA since 2018, and regularly organizes and attends events for the community at large.

Dan is supported by over a dozen H4H team members so far, and works with a Community Development Manager from Canadian Blood Services to organize the team.

How can I get a pair of socks and/or other material for my event?

Please send us a message on the HEMA for Hemoglobin Facebook page or email us at [email protected] and let us know about your event!

You can also download graphics for printing or sharing online from our Google Drive anytime!

We can also help you get in touch with your local Canadian Blood Services rep in order to get free goodies for your event, including snacks, buttons, posters, and more!

I have more questions, how can I get in contact with your organizer?

Please send us a message on the HEMA for Hemoglobin Facebook page or email us at [email protected] and let us know how we can help!