Expats donate blood at Shanghai charity event

Azahar Muhammad Mishkat, an international student majors in Material Science and Engineering at Shanghai's Tongji University, donates blood at the Shanghai Blood Center on Saturday. (Gu Yingjie/chinadaily.com.cn)

More than 100 expatriates hailing from 37 countries gathered at the Shanghai Blood Center on Saturday to participate in a community blood drive, showcasing their deep connection to the city by giving back in a meaningful way.

The blood drive was a pivotal component of the charity event named "United for Shanghai, Lifeblood of a Caring City," which was jointly organized by the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Shanghai Blood Center, and Bloodline. Attendees included government representatives, institutional figures, and international guests from diverse backgrounds.

James Nelligan, the head of the Shanghai American School, expressed the profound significance of the event as a unifying force. He emphasized the power of such initiatives in bringing people together, saying, "Nothing says community more than when we forget all of the other things that make us different and remember what makes us the same".

Executive Vice President of Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Kong Fu'an (fourth from left) and other representatives cut the cake with blood donors at the community blood drive. (Gu Yingjie/chinadaily.com.cn)

Bloodline, a non-profit organization dedicated to rallying expatriates for voluntary blood donations to aid children fighting blood cancer, has spearheaded more than 50 blood drives since its establishment in 2017.

Ashish Maskay, the founder of Bloodline and a Nepalese surgeon serving as the director of Shanghai expatriate healthcare at Shanghai United Family Hospital, revealed that over 5,000 individuals from 68 countries have contributed blood donations through the platform.

Maskay underscored the communal spirit driving the initiative, saying, "It's all about coming together as a community and giving back to the city we love so much". He highlighted the participants' shared affection for Shanghai as the driving force behind their altruistic actions.

Helena Mathis, an exchange student from Austria at Tongji University, donates blood at the Shanghai Blood Center on Saturday. (Gu Yingjie/chinadaily.com.cn)

Among the participants was Azahar Muhammad Mishkat, a PhD student at Tongji University in Shanghai, originally from Bangladesh. Mishkat, who has been in the city for two years, pledged to be available for emergency blood donations and expressed his commitment to continue supporting such causes after his first blood donation journey with Bloodline on Saturday.

Daria Fontana, an exchange student from the University of Venice in Italy, said this was her first blood donation experience. Despite being previously ineligible due to being underweight, Fontana was elated to finally contribute. She enthusiastically spread the word about the initiative at her school, encouraging her peers to join in.

Moreover, the event featured the "Shanghai, My City" short video collection and screening activity, attracting a diverse array of foreigners keen on capturing and sharing their Shanghai experiences through their unique perspectives.

Gu Yingjie contributed to this story.