“Red and Black Blood Donation”: a collection with awareness-raising stakes

The “Red and Black Blood Donation” collection was marked by the signing of a symbolic partnership agreement uniting the city of Nice with the French Blood Establishment and donor support structures, Thursday, October 22. In collaboration with OGC Nice, this 20^th edition is intended to recruit and raise public awareness of this cause. 

The emblematic Place Masséna hosted the anniversary edition of the blood donation collection, from Tuesday, October 20 to Friday, October 23. For the past twenty years, OGC Nice has provided its support to the French Blood Establishment (EFS). During these four days of mobilization, an exceptional collection facility was set up in the Gym’s colors to recruit donors and raise awareness. 

Two events marked the mobilization. The official launch of the collection was marked by the signing of an agreement uniting the EFS with OGC Nice. Then, on the eve of the closing, a symbolic partnership agreement was signed with four hands by Éric Ciotti, mayor of Nice and president of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Authority, Cécile Fabra, deputy director of the EFS, Guy Anastile, president of the Departmental Union for Blood Donation Volunteers of Alpes-Maritimes (UDS06) and Irène Allione, president of the Federated Association of Blood Donors of Nice. Accompanied by partners and OGC Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivière, Éric Ciotti toured the collection circuit, from the information booth to registration, then from sampling to refreshments.

In the colors of the Eagles, this facility is present to encourage the people of Nice to donate their blood.  

Éric Ciotti : « this is a public service mission of general interest«

This collection makes it possible to highlight the importance of blood, plasma and platelet donation. The EFS reminds us of the continuous flow of demand for labile blood products in hospitals and emergency departments, as they have a limited lifespan.

These products are used daily to stop bleeding, which causes many deaths. In the most urgent cases, blood bags must be available within less than half an hour to preserve patients’ health. Blood transfusions also make it possible to treat many diseases and cancers, such as leukemia and lymphomas. Blood donation helps mitigate the effects of chemotherapy, an intensive treatment to destroy cancer cells or block their proliferation in the body.

On average, the EFS has recorded nearly one million people treated thanks to blood donations each year. The president of UDS 06, Guy Anastile, specified that it takes: « 10,000 bags of blood per day nationally, 1,000 bags of plasma and 800 bags of platelets, which means 15 to 16,000 people who, every day, go to collections or to donation centers. »

The French Blood Establishment (EFS) manages the transfusion chain from donor to recipient. Staff organize collections, particularly at the Nice Donation Center, and transform samples into labile blood products directly usable for patients. It rigorously analyzes each sample to guarantee the health safety of the recipient and supplies more than 1,500 hospitals and clinics in France daily. « This public institution has demonstrated its usefulness for many years and makes our country one of the international examples in terms of collection, expressed Éric Ciotti. We need you and we naturally need donors« , he added, addressing representatives of UDS06 and ADSB.

Cécile Fabra : « raise awareness, recruit and retain donors«

This exceptional edition celebrates the partnership uniting OGC Nice and the EFS. Players, coaches, former and staff members of the Eagles club came to lend a hand to volunteers and collection staff. This commitment aims to mobilize the community of Nice supporters. 

For this 20^th edition, an Instagram contest was organized on the Nice Donation Center account to win tickets for the match against Rennes, on October 31. The game closed on Friday, October 23 and the draw is scheduled for Monday, October 26. Furthermore, as part of this collaboration, the Gym co-organizes a major blood collection on Place Masséna twice a year, in order to encourage passersby to donate blood and attract new donors.

The Alpes-Maritimes region suffers from a structural deficit in blood collection and « depends on inter-regional solidarity to meet patients’ transfusion needs. » Cécile Fabra, deputy director of the EFS, confided: « if I had a wish to express, it would be to see tomorrow thanks to our combined efforts, blood and plasma donation become a lasting reflex for all our citizens and to see our increased ability to treat today’s and tomorrow’s patients. »

Throughout the year, the Nice Donation Center welcomes the public by appointment for blood, plasma and platelet donations.