RAWABI Holding Group organized its 6th blood donation campaign in collaboration with the Dammam Blood Bank, as part of Rawabi Holding's corporate social responsibility “corporate community service” program where the company provides opportunity for the employees to volunteer and support various causes in the community. It was held this year at collections offices set up at the Rawabi Holding offices in the Saudi Cancer Foundation for one day and for two days in different business units. Rawabi Holding started this initiative 6 years back in 2008, reaching 132,750 ML of blood – enough to save the lives of 1150 people. Each employee donates 450ML of blood after fitness and health check-up. Today, with an additional 69 donors from across business units, Rawabi added 31,050 ML, with a total of 163,800 ML – enough to potentially save 1,357 lives. Mrs. Hanaa Almoaibed, Group Corporate Communications Manager and CSR Unit Head, said that “the 6th blood donation campaign proves once more that blood is the most precious donation one can make. We hope through this campaign to shed light on the importance of both saving lives through donating blood and on an equal foot the importance of volunteering.” She added “only commitment and dedication from companies to launch such campaigns and for employees to volunteer can sustain development. We can only hope to make a difference if we insist enough on the effectiveness in supporting community causes through volunteering in order to develop a society of well-being.” Dammam Blood Bank Dr. Mohammed Wajeeh Altounisi pointed out that “donors can give blood every 2 to 3 months. It benefits the donor's health as it decreases blood viscosity. On the other hand, the transfusion of blood helps save millions of lives every year, and needless to say that need for blood is ongoing because blood can only be stored for a given time. Donated blood helps saving sick or urgent patients in the successful completion of complex interventions.” Donated blood is also use for premature and pre-term babies, newborns with severe jaundice, patients with leukemia, thalassemia and anemia, road traffic accident victims, and other patients suffering from life threatening conditions. Donating blood makes each one of us a life savior. – SG
