SHANNISE DZOBO
HARARE – The National Blood Service Zimbabwe is set to hold a fundraising dinner with a difference meant to honour individuals and organisations that have made a difference for the organisation.
The ceremony is pencilled for June 2, 2023 at Umwinzii in Umwinsidale, Harare, NBSZ Business Development Officer Juanilla Chimombe told The Midweek Watch.
Chimombe said the event is meant to honour and recognize corporates and individuals who supported the NBSZ programs for years and it also serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
“This event is to honour and recognize corporates and individuals who supported the NBSZ programs in the past years until now and it also serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and also to raise awareness of the need to regularly donate blood and keep the blood clean, safe and available to those in need,” said Chimombe.
This year the World Blood Donor Day is running under the theme “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often” and the national commemorations will be held in Masvingo Province at the branch office on June 17.
The day will witness among other activities hundreds of school children from nearby secondary schools donating blood as a way of encouraging people to give the gift of life.
“The theme ‘Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often’ focuses on patients requiring life-long transfusion support and underlines the role every single person can play by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma and it also highlights the importance of giving blood or plasma regularly,” she added.
The National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) is a not-for-profit organization responsible for the transfusion of blood and blood products in the country.
Chimombe said that the proceeds from the dinner are going to fund a blood drive initiative which is going to run from the 14th of June lasting for 30 days in recognition of the World Blood Donor Day countrywide in order to boost the national blood bank by 2 500 units.
The main sponsors of the event are Delta Beverages, Geo Pomona Waste Management Company, Milton Park Hospital, Stanbic Bank, First Capital Bank, and Air Zimbabwe among others.
