Give blood and enjoy Christmas lights at Sant Pau

At a time of year when blood reserves are lower than usual, Catalonia's Blood and Tissue Bank (Banc de Sang i Teixits) is offering everyone who comes to donate blood or plasma on Thursday December 15 a ticket to visit The Universe of Light at Sant Pau, the beautiful art nouveau former hospital in Barcelona. 

There will be a blood donation point at Sant Pau, but the offer applies to people donating at any donation point across Catalonia. 

More than 2,000 patients will need blood from donors during the Christmas holidays, according to the blood bank.  

The last two weeks of the year is, along with the month of August, the most critical period, because a fall in donations causes blood reserves to drop. 

The holidays, the cold weather and busy social calendars all impact on the number of people who make time to give blood.  

The Blood Bank wants to reverse the trend, encouraging more people to donate blood, which will be used in hospitals over the holidays. 

For this reason, in collaboration with Proactiv Entertainment and the Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau Foundation, everyone who comes to donate blood or plasma on Thursday 15 at any of the donation points throughout Catalonia, will be able to get a ticket to visit The Universe of Light (L'Univers de la llum) at the Sant Pau Lights (Els Llums de Sant Pau). 

The Universe of Light features more than 20 light installations related to the cosmos.  

Give blood at Sant Pau 

The blood donation point at the Sant Pau art nouveau site on Thursday 15 December will be open from 9am to 2pm and from 4pm to 9pm. The blood bank hopes to receive more than 150 donations. Appointments must be booked at donarsang.gencat.cat.