Overcoming the cold, thousands of young people lined up to donate blood to save lives

On the morning of December 29, at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Red Sunday blood donation program in 2025 with the message "Donate blood to save lives - Your life and mine" officially opened, attracting thousands of young people to participate.

Thousands of young people attended the Red Sunday program to donate blood to save lives - Photo: TP

Red Sunday is a blood donation event hosted by Tien Phong newspaper, in coordination with the National Traffic Safety Committee, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, the Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of provinces/cities and a number of organizations nationwide.

Speaking at the ceremony, journalist Phung Cong Suong - editor-in-chief of Tien Phong newspaper, head of the organizing committee of the 17th Red Sunday - shared that in the chilly winter air, the program continued to affirm that the cold cannot stop the warm blood of human love.

"The raised arms, the warm smiles… all combine to create a meaningful Red Sunday. This year, entering its 17th year, Red Sunday hopes to promote deeper awareness of the meaning of donating blood to save lives.

When we donate blood, it is not only an act of giving life but also a concrete expression of compassion, love and responsibility towards the community," said Mr. Suong.

According to Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Minister of Health, Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, the Red Sunday program is increasingly receiving attention, support and response from many people across the country.

If in 2009, the first year the program was held in Hanoi, 96 units of blood were received, then now, after 16 years, the organizing committee has received over 400,000 units of blood.

"This is a truly impressive number, a symbol of love and compassion, contributing to the proud tradition of mutual love and support of the Vietnamese people," said Mr. Thuan.

Mr. Tran Van Thuan gives gifts and encourages voluntary blood donors - Photo: TP

Present at Hanoi University of Science and Technology early in the morning, Linh Han (19 years old) said that she tried to go to bed early last night to attend the program this morning. Han shared that this was her first time donating blood so she was quite nervous.

"I know that my blood will bring hope to patients in need of blood. That motivates me to come here and hope that my health will be good enough to donate blood regularly," Han said.

Thousands of young people lined up to register for voluntary blood donation - Photo: TP

In Hanoi on chilly days, thousands of young people, students from universities and different agencies, temporarily put aside their busy year-end work to come to the program to contribute their warm blood to the sick.

At the end of the year, there is often a shortage of donated blood. The Red Sunday program receives about 55,000 units of blood each year, helping to save the lives of thousands of patients. Those drops of blood will help patients in need of blood to prolong their lives and return to their families during the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vuot-gia-lanh-hang-ngan-ban-tre-xep-hang-hien-mau-cuu-nguoi-20241229123915003.htm