Did you know that a single blood donation can save up to three lives? Viva Rio works to raise awareness about the importance of donating blood since 1998, when it signed a partnership with Rio de Janeiro’s blood bank Hemorio.
In 2010 the initiative was strengthened and gained support from the Municipal Health Secretariat, community associations, churches and companies. Viva Rio’s volunteers are responsible for mobilizing, informing and carrying out actions to get donors to the banks. Since then more than 6,500 lives have been saved with the campaign.
The 2017 numbers were encouraging and make us very happy: we got a total of 935 blood donors, saving 2,805 lives. And again women stood out, with 562 donors.
The 75 Family Clinics we oversee in the city of Rio, in partnership with the City Hall, are fundamental to supply our network of donations. Our volunteers and employees inform and encourage locals to donate blood. At the end of the year, the Clinic that reaches most donations receives the Saving Lives Trophy. The current winner is the São Godofredo clinic in Penha, with 41 donors in 2017.