Annual festival encourages blood donation
An annual blood donation festival in Hanoi on February 16 is expected to attract around 10,000 volunteer donors and bank a minimum of 7,000 units of blood.
Known as Le Hoi Xuan Hong (Red Spring Festival) is held every year on a Sunday to collect a certain amount of blood for hospitals to save patients.
Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, head of the organising board, gave out the message “Sharing red blood, giving hope”, and expressed hope this years’ event will be packed with kind-hearted people.
The festival linked to Valentine’s Day will include a wide range of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the national blood donation drive, including the participation of 70 blood donation families, with the aim of receiving 1 million units of blood.
The organising board will present lucky gifts to 700 couples who donate blood.
“Red Sunday” held on January 12 in 10 provinces and cities, collected nearly 16,000 blood units which were allocated to provinces to meet the increasing emergency demand during the nine-day long lunar New Year holiday.
The first festival of its kind was held in 2008, achieving more than 2,600 blood units. Organizers received nearly 4,200 units in 2009, more than 10,000 in 2010 and 5,700 in 2011.
