Events launched to mark blood donation drive

The Shenzhen Blood Center launched a series of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the city’s efforts in promoting blood donations yesterday, the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

The commemorative events include a commendation party, interviews, book writing, the launch of picture books featuring blood knowledge, the creation of a song and music video about blood donations, as well as a blood safety summit.

A resident (R) donates blood at a blood donation station in this undated photo. Photos courtesy of Shenzhen Blood Center

The 2023 Hot Blood Run, a part of the event series, also opened for applications yesterday. The running program has attracted over 1,000 citizens to participate since it was initiated by the Shenzhen Blood Center in 2015.

The program aims to integrate the two healthy lifestyle concepts of regular exercise and blood donations, and has become one of Shenzhen’s key projects in celebration of World Blood Donor Day on June 14 every year.

According to the center, the 1,000-plus application quotas for the Hot Blood Run were snatched up in less than an hour after the applications opened.

Residents wait to donate blood at a blood donation center in this undtated photo.

This year’s Hot Blood Run has specially invited Wang Zhengming, a former national badminton team men’s singles athlete, to join the event. Wang also donated blood in the city’s blood center April 28.

Ning Li, Party chief and director of the Shenzhen Blood Center, said that donating blood to save people is a vivid demonstration of practicing the concept of putting people and life first. Over the past 30 years, the city’s blood donation drive has gained support from all sectors of society.

“A few days ago, a blood donor left us a message expressing gratitude for our high-quality service, with the words ‘I firmly believe that love will be passed,’” Ning said.

“Through these activities, we hope to convey the concept of ‘voluntary, unpaid and altruistic’ blood donations to more people,” he added.

Shenzhen took the lead in the country to carry out blood donations May 8, 1993. Over the past 30 years, Shenzhen has recorded 5.34 million blood donations by voluntary and unpaid blood donors, who donated a total of 1,068 tons of blood.