World Blood Donor Day
History
The World Health Organisation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies initiated World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) in 2004. It takes place on June 14 each year and provides an opportunity for a united, national and global celebration on a day that has particular significance; the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel Prize winner who discovered the ABO blood group system.
World Blood Donor Day 2012 – Every Blood Donor is a HERO
The theme ‘Every Blood Donor is a HERO’ recognised the generous and often humble blood donors, who give an hour of their time a few times every year to make the simple gesture of giving blood that has the power to save the lives of our loved ones.
On World Blood Donor Day in June, we wanted to say “thank you” to New Zealand’s 120,000 unsung heroes, and encourage more people to follow their lead.
There is no substitute for donated blood and the NZ Blood Service has a constant need to recruit new donors. We need to collect 3,000 donations nationally each week to meet medical demands, and must work continuously to renew the donor database at a rate of more than 17,000 people per year.
New Zealand Blood Service celebrated World Blood Donor Day on Thursday 14th June 2012 in each of its 11 Donor Centres around the country.
Thank you to all of the wonderful blood donors around New Zealand!
