Passion Running Shenzhen opens registration 2019

Volunteers and runners taking part in the 2019 Passion Running Shenzhen pose for a photo at a press conference yesterday. Registration for the activity is now open. The event, which combines unpaid blood donation with sports, will be held June 9 at Lianhua Hill Park. Sun Yuchen

The 2019 Passion Running Shenzhen will be held June 9 at Lianhua Hill Park in Futian District. Registration for the activity is now open, Shenzhen Blood Center said at a press conference yesterday.

Runners can sign up through the official WeChat account of the city’s blood center, “aixin-xianxue,” or the WeChat account of the activity, “rexuepao,” by clicking “热血跑报名” and filling in the form by June 6.

Passion Running, which has been hosted in the city for four consecutive years, is a registered brand and has been promoted nationwide. It is also the first of its kind in China that combines unpaid blood donation with sports.

The running event, which was originally set up to promote World Blood Donor Day on June 14 each year, is now embracing the idea of running for voluntary blood donation and advocates that every day is a day for unpaid blood donation, according to the organizer.

The event aims to encourage those who haven’t donated blood to participate in blood donation, those who have donated blood to do it persistently, and those who cannot donate blood to publicize unpaid blood donation.

“This year, more than 30 cities across the country will participate in Passion Running and we’re calling on more runners from other cities to join us,” said Cai Mengqi, CEO of Shenzhen Rexue Sports Culture Development Co. Ltd., the operator of the running event.

Passion Running began launching in cities other than Shenzhen last year, Cai said.

A special fund for blood donation, which was jointly established by Shenzhen Voluntary Service Foundation and Shenzhen Xuezhiyuan Commonweal Foundation, was also revealed at the press conference. The fund will be used for publicity activities related to unpaid blood donation.

Passion Running has attracted many running groups so far, according to the city’s blood center. For instance, Shenzhen Tongle Running Group has more than 450 runners and more than 200 of them had participated in blood donation as of last year, donating more than 1.5 million milliliters of blood.

Moreover, the group has become the first running group in Shenzhen to regularly organize runners to donate blood and the largest public welfare group in the city for platelet donation, according to the center.

The 2019 Passion Running Shenzhen is jointly hosted by Shenzhen Health Commission and Shenzhen Red Cross Society and is organized by Shenzhen Blood Center.