The French Rotary blood donor network My blood for Others (Mon Sang Pour les Autres, MSPLA) continues to expand in France and abroad. Since its start in 1998, more than 150,000 donors have taken part when French Rotary clubs have organized local blood drives assisted by Rotaractors and Inner Wheelers. The largest single blood drive ever seen in Europa was held in the city of Toulouse in Southern France at the beginning of 2012. In March of 2012, Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee will be visiting a Rotary blood drive near Paris.
Since the start 14 years ago, My Blood for Others has spread all over France and has become one of the major national actions of Rotary International in the country. In 2011 in France alone, 61 collections, in the name of Mon Sang Pour Les Autres, were carried out with 23,906 donors.Outside metropolitan France, My Blood for the Others events have taken place, so far, in the Caribbean, Tahiti, Cambodia, Mali and the Ivory Coast. In 2012, MSPLA is expected to spread to Romania.The major annual Rotary blood drive 2012 in the city of Toulouse, the birthplace of MSPLA, were held over four days, January 18-21, and became the largest collection of donor blood in Europe at one time: 2883 individuals offered their blood for others, 647 individuals were disqualified for various reasons from giving blood, 902 individuals were first-time donors.
The President of the French Senate, Jean-Pierre Bel, visited the Toulouse blood drive, held at the City Hall, and "was quite impressed".
In Paris, the first MSPLA Rotary blood donor blood drives will be be held in March 2012. On March 2 and March 3, the districts 1660 and 1770 jointly are hosting the blood drives in the French capital.
On March 16, 2012, Rotary International’s President, Kalyan Banerjee, will be visiting a Mon Sang Pour Les Autres event in Melun, a south-eastern suburb of Paris.
The MSPLA website, www.monsangpourlesautres.fr, includes a translation tab that can be read in four languages, English, Spanish, Italian and German.
Mon Sang Pour Les Autres/My Blood for Others was founded in 1998 by Rotarian Jean-Claude Brocart, who later became District Governor (2004-05) in his home district, 1700, covering the Toulouse area.
Jean-Claude Brocart now serves as the International Coordinator for MSPLA and as a Director of Global Network for Blood Donation, a Rotarian Action. He is a member of Rotary-Club de Toulouse-Ovalie.
MSPLA works in partnership with the French national blood service, l'Etablissement Francais du Sang, EFS.
Editor's fotnotes:
CONTACT: PDG Jean-Claude Brocart has the e-mail address: jc.brocart@gmail.com
To view videos from the French Rotary blod drives, click at http://youtu.be/wGhaWoK5qXU or http://youtu.be/EzlAbNOMhG0
In France, people can make a whole blood donation between the ages of 18 and 70. After the age of 60, however, all donations require the approval of an EFS doctor. Platelet and plasma donations cannot be made after the age of 65. (Source: EFS)
For more pictures, go the GNBD PICTURES at the upper right corner o this website.
