Vinod Shah
CHICAGO: In a time of great need, the spirit of giving was clearly visible as a large number of individuals gathered at BAPS Charities Blood Donation Drives organized throughout USA and Canada.
BAPS Charities organized a record-breaking 100 blood drives across North America in partnership with local blood banks. These drives helped collect 4,000 pints of blood to potentially save 12,000 lives (one pint can save up to three lives). The 100 blood donation drives were organized to commemorate the Centennial Celebrations of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, whose compassion towards all inspired the creation of BAPS Charities, the humanitarian arm of BAPS.
Pramukh Swami Maharaj lived by the motto ‘In the joy of other lies our own’ –which was the theme of the drives.BAPS Charities’ nationwide campaign to donate blood was time relief during the worst blood shortage crisis in over a decade due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian.
Doctors and medical providers are often being forced to make difficult decisions impacting patients requiring blood transfusions. As a result, Red Cross issued a call-to-action for all potential donors, volunteers, and blood drive organizers to help mitigate the crisis.
BAPS Charities volunteers guided the blood donors with registration and flow. After their blood donation,they also made sure that the donors were relaxed, had a snack and drank liquids until they felt better. Anna Feltham, Account Manager, American Red Cross Blood Services in Chicago, said, “The blood collected today will go a long way towards replenishing blood supplies and, ultimately, saving lives. With the 145 units we collected, up to 435 lives may be saved.
Amazing! Jaymin Patel, a blood donor in Robbinsville, NJ said, “I feel great that I gave someone the gift of life. BAPS Charities is doing tremendous service by organizing these drives and encouraging people to donate.”
“BAPS Charities has been organizing blood drives for years, but I think this year is a record attempt by thousands of donors to save lives,” said Nilkanth Patel, President, BAPS Charities. “Our past campaigns helped save 44,000 lives, and with this year’s campaign, we have helped save another 22,500 lives.”
Dr. Subhash Patel, National Coordinator of Medical Services,said, “BAPS Charities would like to thank all the donors and blood agencies. Without their assistance, we would not have been able to provide the services vital to the well-being of our community.”Through various activities such as health fairs, bone marrow and blood drives, walkathons, and disaster relief operations, BAPS Charities sincerely serves the world by caring for individuals, families, and communities.
The 55,000 BAPS volunteers networked in over 3,120 centers around the world provide over 12 million volunteer-hours of service annually.
For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit www.bapscharities.org For further information, please contact: Lenin Joshi
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