The 2024 “Volunteer Heart” blood donation festival with the message “Join hands to donate blood to save lives”, organized by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in coordination with the Hanoi Youth Blood Donation Association on December 1, received about 2,500 units of blood.
Dr. Tran Ngoc Que, Director of the National Blood Center, National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, said that the festival has been held annually since 2009 to respond to International Volunteer Day on December 5, thereby contributing to raising awareness among young people and students in the capital about volunteer activities in general and voluntary blood donation in particular. The program is also an opportunity to express gratitude and acknowledge the contributions and dedication of volunteer organizations and volunteers in volunteer activities for community life; spreading humane values to make life better day by day.
Over 15 years of organization (2009 - 2023), the program has received nearly 35,000 units of blood. At the same time, the event has been chosen many times by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union as the venue for the National Volunteer Award Ceremony and National Volunteer Day.
With the desire to call on the community to spread love and share in life by participating in voluntary blood donation, the 2024 Volunteer Heart Blood Donation Festival is expected to receive about 2,500 units of blood to serve the needs of emergency and treatment of patients at the end of the year and the upcoming Lunar New Year.
On the first day alone, nearly 1,500 people came to donate blood and show their volunteer spirit.
Present at the 16th "Volunteer Heart" Blood Donation Festival, Hoang Van Duong, Vice President of the Hanoi Youth Blood Donation Association (Blood Association) shared: "I always keep in mind that "Living is giving, not just receiving", so for me, donating blood and promoting voluntary blood donation has long become a passion in life".
Having been involved in volunteer activities in general since he was a 7th grader, Hoang Van Duong quickly realized his strong passion for this work that helps society.
When he entered university and became a volunteer of the “Blood Association”, he always tried his best to do well both in his studies and in his work for the Association. Hoang Duong was quickly trusted by the Association’s Executive Committee and assigned to the position of Vice President of the Association in just under 3 years of operation.
Hien Duong has planned and organized many large programs and events such as the Pink Moon Festival, Pink Spring Festival, Charity Summer, Gratitude Drops, Volunteer Heart, etc. Among them, the most impressive one for him was the Volunteer Heart Blood Donation Festival. This was the first large-scale program he participated in as an organizer.
Volunteer Heart is one of the four biggest blood donation events of the year. The program is held annually to honor the dedication and passion of volunteers like Hoang Duong for society and the community. Because the strength, intelligence and even the drops of blood brought back to the sick all originate from each of their hearts.
