Brandix launches ‘Blood Drive’ marking 10th year as major corporate donor

The Brandix Group has announced the launch of a four-month ‘Blood Drive’ at factories across Sri Lanka to mark the milestone 10th anniversary of the Group’s annual contribution as a corporate blood donor to the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS).

Recognized as the largest corporate donor of blood in Sri Lanka for the past seven years consecutively, the group has donated a cumulative 24,513 units of blood to the NBTS over the past decade, with the campaign of 2016-17 resulting in the collection of 4,090 units of blood, the highest volume donated in a single year.

The 2017-2018 Brandix Blood Drive commenced at Brandix Athleisure, Polonnaruwa and Brandix Fast Fashion, Mirigama and was followed by a collection at the group’s Head Office in Colombo recently. Over the next four months, teams from the NTBS will visit Brandix manufacturing locations on designated days to collect blood from volunteers among the associates employed at them.
“It is heartening see that the enthusiasm of our associates and their commitment to the cause has not wavered over the 10 years of this annual blood drive,” commented Brandix Group Chief People Officer Ishan Dantanarayana. “Their civic consciousness is steadfast and continues to inspire us to expand this initiative each year.”

Beside the annual recognition bestowed on Brandix by NBTS for the past seven years for being the largest corporate blood donor in the country, the group was also honoured with a plaque in 2013, in acknowledgement of an aggregate 10,000 pints of blood donated voluntarily by its employees by end 2012.

According to the NTBS, donations of this scale over a significant time period are necessary to meet the organisation’s requirements. By being geographically widespread, the Brandix campaign increases supplies of blood in many areas, including those that do not usually receive donations of significant volume compared with areas like Colombo. Brandix’s blood donation campaigns are also extra significant as they are conducted on weekdays instead of the general norm of weekends. This is particularly helpful in sustaining blood platelets, which have a lifespan of five days, for use during the course of the week.