(VOVWORLD) - To mark the 38th anniversary of International Volunteer Day on December 5th, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam Youth Federation jointly organized the National Volunteer Festival and the National Volunteer Award Ceremony to honor organizations and individuals for their outstanding activities and to spread the spirit of kindness, sharing, and volunteering.
 Blood Donation Festival - "Volunteer Heart" (photo: vienhuyethoc.vn) |
The Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and the Hanoi Youth Association for Blood Donation jointly organized the "Volunteer Heart" Blood Donation Festival last weekend, attracting hundreds of students.
Some students shared their feeling: "This is my first time donating blood. It’s a meaningful activity to mark my turning 18."
"I left my house at 7 a.m. When I arrived here it was already busy and crowded. I’d like to donate my blood to help save patients in need of a blood transfusion."
 The National Volunteer Festival in Ho Chi Minh City (photo: tienphong.vn) |
This year's "Volunteer Heart" Festival will receive an estimated 2,500 units of blood for blood reserves at hospitals. Members of 500 clubs, associations, teams, and volunteer groups in Chi Minh City and 2,000 volunteers across the country participated in the Festival on Sunday. Volunteer groups have registered 2,000 projects whose goal is to raise 8.2 million USD for people in need.
The National Volunteer Festival included exchanging plastic or recyclable waste for trees or home utensils, forums on volunteering, training programs for volunteers to support traffic safety, the final round of Ho Chi Minh City's ideas contest, the Proud Volunteers playground, and a dance performance.
Scholarships, gifts, and 20 bicycles were given to poor children and children with disabilities. The HCMC Communist Youth Union and the Vietnam Youth Federation gave Volunteer Awards to 10 collectives and 10 individuals.