The GFA Foundation has organized a Blood Donation exercise to celebrate World Blood Donor Day.

The life-saving exercise, which was held at the Home of Football (GFA Head Office), was in partnership with the Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital) to stock its blood bank with safe and efficacious blood and blood products.

The event was graced by the General Secretary of the Football Association, Prosper Harrison Addo and two Deputies, Ama Brobbey Williams and Mr. Alex Asante.

Members of Supporters’ Unions, Club officials, students, staff of the GFA and its corporate neighbours, including the Ghana Tourism Authority, a section of the general public and the media checked their relevant vitals and donated blood.

The Blood Donation campaign manifests the GFA Foundation’s mission of positively impacting the lives of people through support for national and international development initiatives and goals.

This year’s edition was dubbed the “2nd Pint” because this is the second time the GFA was celebrating the International Day with a Blood Donation drive. The first edition was celebrated last year along with the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Since 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO), its partners and communities across the world, have celebrated 14th June as the World Blood Donor Day and this year, the celebration was under the theme “20 years of celebrating giving: Thank you, blood donors”.

The Director of the GFA Foundation, Malcolm Frazier Appeadu, indicated that the annual lifesaving campaign was the Football Association’s contribution to developing a safe, adequate and readily available blood service in Ghana.

“The blood donation exercise is a way to manifest to Ghanaians that indeed we care about the communities and truly the GFA CARES,” he added.

A Senior Medical Officer of Public Health at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Dr Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe said blood was very vital in the treatment of jaundice in newborns, complications during pregnancy and childbirth, severe anemia in children etc. “I thank the GFA and all stakeholders for their support for the Greater Accra Regional Hospital,”he went on to say.

Donors, after the donation exercise, received donor cards and other souvenirs from the Ghana Football Association and the medical team from the Accra Regional Hospital.

The Blood Donation Campaign has become a permanent feature on the calendar of the GFA Foundation.