Here’s news from the Global Network for Blood Donation (GNBD)

Here’s news from the Global Network for Blood Donation (GNBD), a Rotarian Action Group. This e-mail is meant to be a quick read with just the highlights.  Feel free to forward to your contacts. For comments, please contact us at info@ourblooddrive.org

PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT 

Inspired by the successes of the Governors’ Challenge Blood Drives in Texas, RI President Kalyan Banerjee has encouraged all Rotary districts in India to participate in the Rotary Governors’ Challenge Blood Drive.  

WORLDWIDE FACTS

·         Against an annual demand of 20 million units only 15 million units are available in India.

·         In the USA, about 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood.

REPORT FROM THE COWBOYS
WHO ARE THE COWBOYS? Rotarians in all of Texas, New Mexico, and District 5770 in Oklahoma and growing

District 5810 report by George Elking, Vampire Emeritus & District 5810 Aide to the Governor:
DG Bud McBrayer promotes our District Blood Donation program and he refers to our District's status as the "Vampire District".  He tells each club how one unit of blood can save up to 3 people's lives. We also are diligently pursuing our District's Goal of 5812 units of blood. 

District 5790 report by Walter Ott –Blood Drive Chair:

DG Sharron Miles has set the goal for District 5790 at 5,813 units. Wonder where she got that number? 

REPORT FROM THE INDIANS by P T Prabhakar, GNBD President & Indian Chair

The Rotary Governor’s Challenge Blood drives made a great start in India. Every district has reported significant number of units of blood, collected by Rotary clubs in voluntary blood drives.  District 3230 had the privilege of RI President Kalyan Banerjee’s visit to the Rotary Central TTK VHS Blood Bank July 14, 2011, where he motivated and complimented the 150 Rotaractors who donated blood on that day and distributed donors’ certificates to them.

RI Districts 2980, 3000, 3212 & 3230, all part of the state of Tamil Nadu, are planning mega blood drives between September 12 -17, 2011. A similar effort, last year yielded 12,000 units of blood.

This year the plan is to collect 18,000 units, of which, RI District 3230’s contribution will be 10,000 units. In short, the Indians have accepted the challenge from the Cowboys and are going great guns!!!

DID YOU KNOW?

Global Network for Blood Donation (GNBD) is a Rotary Action Group, and has more than 1,300 Rotarians as members from around the Rotary world. Its purpose is to promote voluntary blood donation. Members are Rotarians, Rotaractors, and spouses; others are welcomed as “friends.” There are no dues. See www.ourblooddrive.org to join.

RESOURCES

Need newsletter articles, logos, banners?  We also have “Life stories” ready for your newsletter. Download from www.ourblooddrive.org.

Chuck Kurtzman, PDG, is the Founding Vampire of the Rotary Governors’ Challenge Blood Drives. Contact him at c.kurtzman@ourblooddrive.org.