The 2011-12 Rotary International president, Kalyan Banerjee, in a letter to the incoming District Governors of India has urged them to rally behind voluntary blood donation under the umbrella of Global Network for Blood Donation, a Rotartian Group (GNBD). - By undertaking this project, you will be saving thousands of lives and helping needy accident victims, cancer patients, mothers, babies and several others. The entire program has my support. Let us together "Reach Within to Embrace Humanity", Kalyan Banerjee urges. Rotary International's involvement will function under the guidance of the two R.I. Directors Yash Das and Shekhar Mehta. The president of GNBD, P.T. Prabhakar, will serve as the National Chair for this program in India.
The full text of Kalyan Banerjee's letter to the incoming district governors of India:
Posted May 19, 2011 _______________________________________________ To the 2011-2012 District Governors in India: Voluntary blood donation is perhaps the best way to obtain safe blood by Blood Banks and hospitals. There is a major gap between the demand and supply for blood and blood components in India. Against an annual demand of 20 million units only 15 million units are available. Rotary in India can play a major role in bridging this gap. While there are several Blood Banks that are run by Rotary Clubs in communities throughout India, there remains a need for greater emphasis in promoting voluntary blood donations. Global Network for Blood Donation (GNBD) is an approved Rotary Action group, founded in 2006 by PDG Charles Kurtzman, from Texas, U.S.A., and has over 1100 Rotarians as members, from around the Rotary world. Its purpose is to promote voluntary blood donation by Rotarians, Rotaractors and the general public. Through its very successful model, The Rotary Governors' Challenge Blood Drive, it promotes friendly challenges amongst the Rotary Clubs within a District and challenges between Rotary Districts. Taking example from Global Network for Blood Donation, I suggest that Districts in India adopt their model and institute similar recognitions for Districts that excel and are able to document the number of voluntary blood donors as well as the number of units collected through their respective efforts. For the Rotary year 2011-12, GNBD proposes to introduce Rotary Governors' Challenge Blood Drives, amongst the Rotary Districts in Zones 4-5 and 6. PDG P.T. Prabhakar, who currently serves as the President of Global Network for Blood Donation Action Group, is very knowledgeable and experienced, and will serve as the National Chair for this program in India. He will share more details with you as to how District Governors in India can participate in this challenge. By undertaking this project, you will be saving thousands of lives and helping needy accident victims, cancer patients, mothers, babies and several others. Special recognition will be given to District Governors and clubs that are actively associated with this program. The entire program has my support and will function under the guidance of the two R.I. Directors, Yash Das and Shekhar Mehta. By participating in this challenge you will be serving a much needed humanitariancause. Let us together Reach Within to Embrace Humanity. Kalyan Banerjee RI President 2011-2012 ______________________________________________ Contact: PDG P.T. Prabhakar, e-mail prabhakar.nalini@gmail.com , PDG Charles Kurtzman, e-mail c.kurtzman@ourblooddrive.org Footnote: To see 2011-12 RI president Kalyan's letter, go to DOWNLOADS. The special logo for the Indian Governors' Challenge Blood Drive is sponsored by Carter BloodCare.
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