On 14 June 2009, World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) will again be celebrated throughout the world to create wider awareness of the need for safe blood for transfusion and the importance of blood donation. Global Network for Blood Donation, a Rotarian Action Group supports the World Blood Donor Day and we urge our members, their clubs and districts to participate in this annual event. (updated May 13, 2009)
World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) was designated as an annual event at the United Nations World Health Assembly in 2005 and since then has been hosted by a number of countries. Read the World Blood Donor Day 2009 announcement by clicking here.
The official WBDD 2009 poster (with the GNBD logo) can be downloaded by clicking here or at DOWNLOADS.
This year World Blood donor Day will be launched in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by the Australian Government and the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. Celebrations on the national level will take place in several countries around the world.
World Blood Donor Day focuses on the life-saving gift of voluntary donors whose donations are given purely for altruistic reasons
The global theme for this year's World Blood Donor Day, June 14, "will place a renewed emphasis on improving the safety and sufficiency of blood supplies through the achievement of 100 per cent voluntary non-remunerated donation of blood and blood components."
In connection with the WBDD celebration in Melbourne, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global has arranged for Consultation "on 100 per cent Voluntary Non-remunerated Donation of Blood (VNRBD) and Blood Components." The Global Consultation will be held on 9-11 June.
World Blood Donor Day is jointly sponsored by four core agencies: the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion.
The full text of the WBDD proclamation can be found under DOWNLOADS or at the WBDD website, www.wbdd.org .
GNBD encourages Rotary and Rotaract clubs to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, June 14, at meetings or other events and to acknowledge those members who donate regularly.
Events at the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day 2009.
Letter from the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations (FIODS/IFBDO):
Dear friend.
For the benefit of all those involved in this day, please send us all the information you have on the activities, events, manifestations or celebrations to be held in your country at the World Blood Donor Day in 2009. This information could then be added to our web page ( www.wbdd.org ) to the "events" section as quickly as possible.
It is extremely important for our media coverage and our mutual inspiration that all events are presented on our common web page before 14 June. Therefore I kindly request you to send us this information as rapidly as possible to: mikkelsen@bloddonor.dk .
We will be happy to receive photos and other documents after June 14 to enhance our website, but any information sent in the next few days will contribute to our efforts to obtain an optimal coverage of the day.
Information in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Russian are also welcome and will be added to the site into separate pages for each language.
Looking forward to your next mail
Niels Mikkelsen
President of the IFBDO and webmaster for www.worldblooddonorday.org /www.wbdd.org
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What information is needed about a Rotary WBDD event? Her is a true example, which was reported to mikkelsen@bloddonor.dk May 12.
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On 16 June Dr. Merlyn Sayers will speak to the Rotary Club of Fort Worth South (Texas, USA) on Rotary's role in the world's blood supply.
Dr Sayers, a member of Rotary Club of Grapevine (Texas, USA) is CEO of Carter BloodCare, one of the largest independent blood centers in the USA. He is also the past-president of America's Blood Centers. Carter BloodCare is this year's sponsor of the Global Network for Blood Donation, A Rotarian Action Group, and has played a key role in the GNBD's evolution.
The Rotary Club of Fort Worth South is the founding club of the Governors' Challenge Blood Drive which started in District 5790 and has been widely adopted, from Texas to South Africa. District 5790 celebrates donation of over 60,000 units to our area's blood supply since inception of the Governors' Challenge.
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WBDD borchure can be downloaded by clicking here.
For comments or suggestions, please write editor@ourblooddrive.org