Report on “Blood Donation Drive Support”

Community Service Committee Chair 石川佳照

112 Blood Donors Achieved!!
On Saturday, June 29, the Rotary Club of Tokyo Shintoshin, together with the Japanese Red Cross Society, hosted a “Blood Donation Drive” in front of the JR ticket gates at the South Exit of Shinjuku Station from 10:30 to 16:30.
President 伊豆, Secretary 吉田, Member 半場, Member 北岡, Member 平岡, 金多 and 高取 of the club office, and I, 石川, set up the Tokyo Shintoshin RC banners and other items, and at 10:30 we began with a greeting from President 伊豆.
Together we called out to passersby asking them to donate blood and guided those who agreed to donate. The Japanese Red Cross Society's target this time was 110 donors.
After a while, Member 大西, Member 笹川 and Member 前田 came to help, followed later by Member 北岡's wife, four acquaintances, Member 假屋 and others, so we were able to take breaks in turns.
Member 浅利 and Member 川合 also came to donate blood.
At 13:00, two and a half hours in, there were 32 donors, and at that pace about 90 seemed the most we could hope for, so we coordinated with the Red Cross staff and redoubled our efforts to call out to people so as to exceed 100.
Our efforts paid off: from around 14:00 the number of registrations increased, reaching about 70 by 15:00 and about 90 by 16:00, and we were all relieved that we would likely exceed 100.
In the end, 112 people donated, although about 30 people who registered were unable to donate for various reasons.
I was struck by how many people, despite being approached in passing, volunteered to donate their blood free of charge, and felt that there is still much good in Japan.
To those who helped for nearly seven hours from early morning, to those who came to support us despite their busy schedules, and above all to everyone who donated blood — thank you all for your hard work, and thank you very much.