In celebration of its 160th anniversary, the I. I. Mechnikov National University of Odessa, alongside the administration, the trade union, and the Department of Physiology, Health, and Human Safety, is organizing a blood donation campaign titled «Become a Donor! Save a Life!».
This initiative is a part of the university's project «HEALTH, MOVEMENT, EDUCATION — the university lives and acts».
«The goal of the campaign is to gather 160 donors to unite the university community in supporting military personnel and all those in need of assistance», said the campaign's initiator, Vadim Penov, an associate professor at the Department of Physiology, Health, and Human Safety.
The blood collection will take place on university grounds with the involvement of medical staff from the Odessa Regional Blood Transfusion Station.
The campaign began at the ONU branch on Shampanskoho Lane and will continue next week in the library and other university buildings.
Students, faculty, and staff have eagerly participated in blood donation, with over 70 individuals donating within the first two days. Each participant received a reward from the «Donor Odessa» project — a sticker featuring Sonia, the project's mascot promoting donation in Odessa.
Additionally, informative discussions on common questions regarding blood donation were held with students from the Vocational College and members of the Biological Faculty's Academic Council.
Promotion of blood donation at Mechnikov University is part of the city-wide charity project «Weeks of Good Deeds».
***
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the «Donor Odessa» project has been instrumental in attracting blood donors for the city's medical institutions. So far, over 12,000 blood donations have been conducted through this initiative. Ongoing informational efforts to promote donation and raise awareness of current blood needs are supported by the Odessa City Council's Department of Information and Digital Solutions. This includes the Telegram channel «Odessa.Official» and the mobile app MISTO, available for download via the provided link.
