Catalonia's annual blood drive exceeds expectations with over 10,000 donations

Catalonia's annual blood drive, the Marató de Sang, concluded this weekend, surpassing expectations with 10,343 blood donations.

Between January 9 and 18, a total of 9,300 people visited one of the donation points set up in 104 towns and cities across Catalonia, with some donating more than once.

Over half of the donors (56%) were aged between 45 and 65. However, the campaign also registered nearly 1,000 new donors, 50% of whom were aged 18 to 35.

Most of the donations were collected in Barcelona, accounting for over 60%, followed by Tarragona (1,300), Girona (1,000), and Lleida (600).

Joan Ramon Grífols, director of the Blood Bank (BST), described the campaign as a success but emphasized that “it does not end here,” highlighting the need for thousands of daily donations.

“Every year, we lose around 35,000 donors, so it’s very encouraging that many new donors are young. They have a long life ahead of them and can become regular donors,” Grífols said.

The campaign takes place every year after the Christmas period, as blood donations typically drop by around 20% during the holidays.

After this year's drive, Catalonia's blood reserves are sufficient for the next eight days, and Grífols noted that they are in a "good" position.

The presentation of the campaign results included Xavier Vallès, both a blood donor and recipient, who urged people to donate blood.

"Small actions by ordinary people in ordinary places can change the world and the lives of many. For me, the blood bank didn't just change my life - it gave it back to me," he said.