A little prick that saves lives: joint blood donation campaign in Sonthofen

July 8, 2024
On July 8, 2024, BHS-Sonthofen, Voith and SWW Oberallgäu Wohnungsbau GmbH organized a joint blood drive on the Voith premises in Sonthofen. Around 100 employees and their relatives responded to the call from the participating companies and the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK). The donors thus made an important contribution to the safe supply of blood.

500 ml of blood was taken from each donor - enough to save up to three lives. The donated blood is used for numerous medical treatments, especially during operations and after serious accidents. More than three million units of blood are needed in Germany every year. Unfortunately, there are always shortages, especially during the vacation season. The joint donation campaign in Sonthofen was therefore all the more welcome. "Small effort, big impact. We are delighted that so many employees took part in this important campaign," summarizes Martin Lutz, Commercial Director (CFO) of BHS-Sonthofen.

Repeat desired

Donations were made on the premises of the neighboring company Voith in Sonthofen, where the BRK was on site with six employees and three doctors and asked up to eight people to give blood samples in 15-minute blocks. Afterwards, everyone involved was given a snack and drink and a small thank-you from the BRK. Claus-Peter Lang, responsible for blood donations in the region at the Bavarian Red Cross blood donation service, sees potential for a repeat of the event: "We would be delighted if we could hold another blood donation campaign with the participating companies in the not too distant future." Matthew Watts, Site Manager at Voith in Sonthofen, was also pleased with the high level of participation: "It was a great community event and I am particularly pleased that around 30% of the workforce took part. Perhaps we can top this figure next time."