Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

A TOTAL of 3,500 Shenzhen citizens had donated blood at Shenzhen Blood Center’s 13 blood donation sites during this year’s National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to Thursday, with both the number of blood donors and the amount of blood collected setting new highs during the holiday.

The center said Friday that 2,899 citizens donated whole blood of more than 1 million milliliters. Among the blood donors, 601 had donated platelets through an automated procedure, with 699 units of platelets collected. The number of blood donors increased by 11.6 percent year on year.

The center had prepared a three-piece package including a national flag, a thank-you note and masks for each blood donor during the National Day holiday.

On the National Day alone, which falls on Oct. 1 every year, 816 Shenzhen citizens donated blood in celebration of the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Chen Jiangang, whose birthday falls on Oct. 1, had his 321st blood donation that day and he said “I wish the motherland prosperity and wish myself a happy birthday.”

Another donor, Yang Weiqiang, came to the site in Huaqiangbei in Futian District with his wife and 3-year-old son Oct. 1. According to Yang, he has been donating blood since he was 18 years old. He hoped that his son can also join the cause of blood donation in the future.

Volunteers at each blood donation site also worked tirelessly during the holiday and patiently answered citizens’ blood donation questions.

According to statistics, 269 volunteers provided 1,790 service hours from Oct. 1 to Thursday. Twenty-nine Party members from the city’s blood center also served as volunteers for 203 hours.