Penzance unites to save lives
Over 45 units of blood were collected at the Adopt-a-Day drive at Penzance Primary School. The SANBS calls on donors to donate ahead of the festive season.
- IT was a lively and joyful atmosphere when the parents and teachers of Penzance Primary School banded together to save lives by donating blood on Friday, October 25, for the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Adopt-a-Day promotion which was hosted at the school from 07:00 to 14:00.
The drive was held under the theme, ‘We are the pulse’, and by 11:00, they had collected over 40 units of blood, inching the school closer to their target of 80 pints. SANBS Donor Relations Practitioner Msimelelo Lose said the Adopt-a-Day blood drive is a quarterly event that targets primary schools. He said the aim is to get parents to donate blood while they are at the school to drop off or collect their children.
Also Read: Learners answer the call to keep blood stocks flowing
“We give a letter out to parents with a tear-off slip where they can write the name of the learner and what grade they are in. This allows us to check which learner had the highest number of people who donated on their behalf. The learner with the most donations gets a special prize, the parent gets a gift on the day of donation and if the school reaches its target, they qualify for a prize. After 50 units, the school automatically qualifies for the prize,” said Lose.
The programme was started in 2023 with Penzance Primary and Glenwood Preparatory schools being among the first to sign up in the Durban South area. “The support has been great from the parents and the schools. This is why we are calling on more primary schools in the area to join the initiative. Through the campaign, we can ensure that we have enough blood stock, especially with the festive season coming up,” said Lose.
Also Read: SANBS calls for blood donors
To be a blood donor, you need to be between the ages of 16 and 75 years old – for first-time donors. You must weigh a minimum of 50kg and be in good health. For schools to join the SANBS Adopt-a-Day programme, they can contact Msimelelo Lose on 082 655 8743 or email msimelelo.lose@sanbs.org.za.
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