The Andhra Pradesh chapter of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) set a Guinness World Record by having as many as 10, 217 youths registering as blood donors in a span of eight hours at Andhra Loyola College here on Saturday.
The campaign launched by Governor and IRCS AP president Biswa Bhusan Harichandan at 10 a.m. witnessed a huge number students from 35 schools and colleges in and around the city lining up to sign up as blood donors. The campaign was closed at 6 p.m.
All the students aged 18 or above who signed up were marked with indelible ink on their forefingers to avoid duplication of registrations.
IRCS AP chapter chairman A. Sridhar Reddy said that about 30,000 students of different age groups came to register as planned and only majors were allowed to make the pledge by signing up papers, he said.
In all, 10, 573 students signed up and the Guinness Book Records observer present at the event declared 10, 217 registrations valid. The Guinness Book Records in its citation presented to Dr. Sridhar Reddy at the end of the day declared, “The most people to sign up to donate blood in 8 hours was achieved by Indian Red Cross Society, Andhra Pradesh State Branch in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.”
‘Laudable gesture’
Speaking during the inaugural session, Mr. Harichandan appreciated the young volunteers who turned up at the venue to express their willingness to save precious lives of the people in need by signing up. “This gesture of compassion by the youth of Andhra Pradesh will be recognised all over the world, as Guinness Book registers this event as a world record. This truly makes me proud,” Mr. Harichandan said.
He said AP has a strength of 1.14 lakh blood donors across the State where 18 blood banks are functioning and last year alone 82, 055 blood units were collected at 1,125 camps. “I personally believe that awareness on the importance of voluntary blood donation should be created and spread among youth and I wish that no one should lose life due to non-availability of safe blood in our State,” he said.
