IT will be a bloody affair even before the opening whistle blows at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban on Friday, 25 September – the scene of the biggest game of the Currie Cup season when the Sharks take on the Blue Bulls.
The Sharks are championing saving lives by calling on loyal black-and-white fans to join the blood drive that will be specially arranged at the stadium.
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) will set-up three mobile blood collection units at gates 1, 4 and 9 of the stadium and these will be in operation from 4pm to 7pm.
“If you are attending this exciting match, be sure to live the spirit of rugby and donate a unit of blood. It will only take a bit of your time, and unlike the blood that the rugby teams will shed on the field, it won’t hurt. In fact, you’ll feel doubly satisfied knowing you saved a life and watched the winning try,” said SANBS PR practitioner, Mohamed Goolam.
The Sharks players, coaches, support staff and fans are committed to using their powerful brand as a motivator for social change and making a lasting difference in their communities.
“Everyone associated with the Sharks has bought into the project and our hope is that South Africans embrace the Sharks Forever Fans legacy and ensure that the black and white heartbeat lives on forever. This week, by donating blood you’ll have the opportunity to be part of it and our nation’s future.” said Novashni Chetty of the Sharks.
Although SANBS currently collects over 800,000 units of blood annually at its 87 fixed donor centres and through daily blood drives managed by mobile teams around the country, there are instances when SANBS falls short of the 3,000 units of blood required daily to meet demand.
“SANBS is proud to partner with the Sharks and we invite all rugby fans to help us save the lives of people who need blood. Among them are rugby players, but so are mothers in labour, accident victims and cancer patients,” concluded Goolam.
