June 14 is World Blood Donor Day

AABB will join the World Health Organization, corporate partners and blood centers everywhere in honoring volunteer blood donors for their generous, life-saving donations on World Blood Donor Day, June 14.

Held each year on the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the “father of blood grouping,” World Blood Donor Day aims to thank blood donors worldwide and increase public awareness of the need for regular, unpaid blood donation. World Blood Donor Day also highlights the need for committed, year-round blood donation to maintain adequate supplies and achieve universal and timely access to safe blood transfusion.

This year’s World Blood Donor Day theme, “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives,” focuses on the role that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing solidarity within communities.  WHO’s World Blood Donor Day web page includes key messages and a shareable poster that illustrates this year’s theme. AABB encourages member centers to share their World Blood Donor Day activities using the Twitter hashtag #WorldBloodDonorDay. 

Additionally, AABB recognizes that there are ways to support blood safety and availability outside of blood donation. Individuals who are unable to donate blood can still contribute to the mission of World Blood Donor Day by making a gift to support blood and biotherapies research through AABB’s National Blood Foundation (NBF). The NBF drives innovation through early-career scientific research and education grants that reinforce AABB's mission to support donor and patient safety and care.