OAKLAND, Calif., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- What do a big giant blood drop, romance movies and a phone bank have in common? These are some of the unique and creative ways Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc. in Emeryville encourages and promotes blood drives within their organization. On Thursday, June 14, 2007, as part of World Blood Donor Day activities, the American Red Cross Northern California Blood Services Region presents the Excellence in Community Service Award to Novartis in recognition of extraordinary volunteer community service by an organization who aids in the area of collecting blood donations.
Through the direction of Meghan B. Leader, Head of Global Business Operations, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, and Gene Walther, President of Chiron, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Novartis champions the need for blood in many “out of the box” ways.
Novartis not only shows its commitment to helping increase the blood supply by hosting six blood drives annually, but also reaches out to neighboring communities to spread the word about the tremendous need for blood. During their Community Partnership Day, on April 26, 2007, volunteers from Novartis contacted more than 660 previous blood donors, scheduling donation appointments for blood drives at Children’s Hospital Oakland, Kaiser Permanente corporate offices, and Cal Trans. All three blood drives not only exceeded their goals but had some of the highest attendance in recent history.
“The impact of Novartis volunteers calling our donors was tremendous. Donors were able to schedule appointments and have their questions immediately answered by a live person. These blood drives had their highest turnouts in over a year,” said Jay Winkenbach, CEO, American Red Cross Northern California Blood Services Region. “Novartis recognizes the fact that not all of their employees could donate blood but still could make a difference for the cause. By establishing a phone bank, Novartis volunteers could still help save lives even though they can not give blood,” said Winkenbach.
The Novartis recruitment team promoted the spirit of blood donation through their boundless enthusiasm and energy. Blood drives have been given themes, such as the Valentine’s Day drive and Thursday’s World Blood Donor Day drive. From passing out candy and visiting employees with Buddy the Blood Drop (the American Red Cross mascot) to playing movies and sharing recipient stories at blood drives, Novartis focuses on making the donor experience fun and rewarding.
“Novartis truly deserves the Excellence in Community Service Award for its outstanding work. Their commitment to help save lives goes beyond the confines of the Bay Area and now reaches out globally. They have now established blood drives in their facilities in Cambridge, Hong Kong and beyond,” said American Red Cross Northern California Region CEO, Jay Winkenbach.
“Working with the American Red Cross, Novartis serves a unique role in improving the nation’s blood supply through Chiron’s innovative blood screening solutions. Holding blood drives on-site throughout the year is not only an extension of our mission to improve the world’s blood supply, but it is also an opportunity for us to give back to the community, which is an important part of the Novartis culture,” said Meghan B. Leader, Head of Global Business Operations, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. “It is an honor to accept the Excellence in Community Service Award recognizing Novartis associates here in Emeryville for their level of participation. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the American Red Cross through blood drives in Emeryville and other Novartis sites.”
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest U.S. supplier of blood and blood products. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.
World Blood Donor Day
World Blood Donor Day was established at the 58th World Health Assembly in May 2005 by WHO’s 192 Member States, to urge all countries in the world to thank blood donors, promote voluntary, unpaid blood donations and ensure safe supplies of blood for all.
Contact: SARA O’BRIEN Phone: (510) 594-5205 Mobile: (510) 773-2409 obriensj@usa.redcross.org
American Red Cross
CONTACT: Sara O’Brien, +1-510-594-5205, Mobile, +1-510-773-2409,obriensj@usa.redcross.org
