The 159–359th Worldwide Blood Drives

The WeLoveU conducted blood drives for seven weeks from June 16 to July 31 in 40 regions of Korea and in 158 regions in 50 different countries around the world. Not only Mexico, U.S., and India that normally participate in blood drives, but also the 16 countries such as Zimbabwe, Namibia, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Botswana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Uruguay, Cameroon, Costa Rica, DR Congo, Pakistan, and Puerto Rico, participated in the blood drive for the first time.

The WeLoveU’s blood drive was held in government offices, shopping centers, and parks as well as hospitals, drawing attention from local communities. Some WeLoveU branches raised the awareness of blood donation by arranging a panel display on the topic of “Receiving Life without Cost, and Sharing without Cost,” and promoted the importance of blood donation. The members held picket signs that read “1 Sacrifice Can Save 3 Lives” and “The Greatest Joy is Giving Life,” attracting voluntary participation from citizens. Through musical performance along with additional events such as face-painting, play experiences, and photo zone, the WeLoveU members set the scene for more citizens’ involvement in the blood donation.

The WeLoveU also carried out signature-seeking campaign of “Saving Lives” on its public website in order to encourage citizens to voluntarily donate blood. More than 6,000 citizens from 51 countries gave supporting signatures and promised to become responsible citizens who practices “sharing life” through donating blood at least once a year.

The 163rd blood drive held in San Bernardino, California, U.S. on June 30 was the largest blood drive in that region. Out of 1022, 715 people successfully donated blood. Eloise Gomez Reyes, a member of the House Representative, presented a certificate of appreciation to the WeLoveU, saying, “All of you did not just say words, but practiced them.”

Governments and public offices in each country too actively participated in the blood donation. When the 178th blood drive was held at Cheonan City Hall on July 3, the city mayor made an announcement of the blood drivem, and as a result, the city council members and officers of the city government, too, participated in it. On July 10, the 209th blood drive was held at the head office of the Lao Front for National Development, which is a government agency of Laos; 126 people, including officials at the head office, doctors, soldiers, and citizens as well as WeLoveU members, participated in the blood drive with one mind.

On July 18, the 244th blood drive was held and Britta Dimanski the Director of the Institute of Transfusion Medicine in Berlin expressed gratitude to the WeLoveU members, saying, “In Germany, the number of blood donors has been decreasing by 100,000 every year due to old age or illness. There is no way that people can receive blood transfusion other than through blood donation. So it is extremely important that the number of new blood donors increases.”

The blood drive for freely sharing life with others started from the heart of a mother, and is now actively being carried out throughout the world. The news of blood drive from each country lets us fully realize that world citizens are part of one global family. Until the slogan for saving lives reaches every country, the powerful “pulse of love” of the WeLoveU Foundation will continue.