Blood drive held to help victims of Lapu-Lapu Day festival attack
Posted May 7, 2025 7:23 am.
Appointments to donate blood are booked solid this week as strangers roll up their sleeves following Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy.
A blood drive held on Tuesday was organized by Mystica Alexandra Lopez De Leon. She and her sister were manning a booth at the festival, but luckily, she wasn’t there when a black SUV sped through and struck multiple people, leaving 11 dead and dozens more injured.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!“My sister was helping me run the booth, and we’d take breaks and go straight up and down that street. I wanted my son to be there with me to celebrate towards the end, but God, I’m just glad we weren’t there,” she told CityNews.
De Leon was born in the Philippines, and the story struck a chord with her. As soon as she heard what happened, she wanted to find a way to help right away.
“You can’t buy it with money, and as far as I know,w you can’t create it in a lab. So, for the people in the hospital that need it, I just truly hope that it goes to somebody who needs it, and maybe it’s enough. I want to feel good about it, and at the same time, this time period and the reason why we brought people here is tragic,” she explained.
At least 10 people remain in the hospital more than a week after the April 26 car-ramming attack.
Kailai Lee is among those who stepped up to donate.
“My heart goes out to all of the other victims and people who require blood transfusions, and it’s you’re really at the hands of people who are willing to give,” she said.
On Tuesday, there was also a march and candlelight vigil held for the victims and survivors of the attack. Dozens of people walked from East 45th Avenue and Fraser Street to John Oliver Secondary School, near the site of the tragedy.
The vigil was put together by festival organizer and volunteer Lina Vargas.
“It’s going to be a challenging situation for us to plan for the next event, especially Lapu-Lapu, because it really gives us pause within our heart, but this incident will not define who we are,” she said.
Vargas was at the festival, and says she can’t shake the sights of sounds of the devastation.
“Seeing so many people on the ground, and even kids … that was really hard, very heartbreaking, and I feel so sad, but I can’t even cry right away. I think it’s a mix of emotions,” she explained.
Antonio Ortega volunteered at the festival.
“I wasn’t able to talk, and I started crying, and the phone kept ringing, and I said to myself, ‘Why did this happen? Lord, why?'” Ortega said.
Ortega says right now all anyone can do is come together and support those who need it most.
“We don’t like what happened, but we will not allow ourselves to be on the ground. We need to stand up and stay strong.”
Ortega is organizing another day of community mourning with an event set to take place at St. Patrick’s Church in Vancouver on May 17, with all proceeds going to the victims and their families.
