Keeping the theme of Revels ’20—Qainaat—in mind, RedX, in collaboration with the KMC Blood Bank, held their first blood donation camp on 1 March 2020. The camp saw more than 120 eager volunteers come together to donate blood in the late hours of the Sunday morning. However, medical reasons filtered out a few donors as a result of which only 100 participants were declared fit for donating blood.

“This is the first time RedX is organising a blood donation drive. Since RedX has a category called Xventure in Revels, it was proposed to do something pertaining to the social cause by organising such an event”, remarked Sohan Mandal, the head of HR for RedX. Pratik Ronghe, a frequent blood donor, shared the motivation behind his blood donating habit, “I generally donate blood every time Rotaract conducts a camp. But I missed out during January 26 and so I decided to come and donate blood. My grandmother had a rare blood group and had trouble finding blood when she required it. So I think it is apt for me to donate blood so that people do not have to panic and search for blood in times of need.”

Participants donating blood at the MIT Food Court 1

Held at the MIT Food Court 1, the first floor was well organised into several spaces—there were separate registration desks, medical counters, beds and waiting areas for blood donors and the like. RedX volunteers also made sure to educate participants on the process of donating blood, keeping donors well informed before they took part in the event. A few of the many conditions that had to be met were similar to most blood donation pre-requisites—donors had to meet a minimum weight requirement of 47 kilograms, consume a hearty breakfast and stay free of alcohol for 24 hours prior to donation.

The event was attended by the Chief Security Officer of MIT, Mr Ratnakar Samanth, Professor and HOD of Blood Bank from KMC Dr Shamee Shastry, and Technical Supervisor of the Blood Bank Mr Vishwesh N. “This blood donation camp organised through RedX has already seen a decent turnout. By 10.30, around 20 people had already given their blood. The members of RedX have done a remarkable job by organising this wonderful event during Revels”, stated Mr Samanth, who was impressed by the student’s efforts and the organisation of the event.

KMC staff aiding participants with the blood donation process

The well-coordinated blood donation drive was an event that did its bit to raise a social message on the importance of sharing the liquid of human life. The large participation coupled with the support from students and various other organizations helped RedX achieve the goals they set out to meet. Overall, this event has now been laid as a stepping stone for similar experiences in the future of RedX and the student community.