By Paul Ho,Fund-Raising/Community Service Projects Officer
RCHN-SMU Chapter – 5th Executive Committee 2006/07

If you had been to the Dhoby Ghaut NEL Station on the weekend of 15 – 16 December 2006, you could not have missed the refreshing transformation of the station as “A Truly Magical Christmas” descended upon Singapore early this year. The public blood donation drive was organized by enthusiastic youths from the RCHN-SMU Chapter with the aim of living up to the true ‘spirit of giving’ in this festive season.

The team, comprising SMU students, some of whom had no prior experience in blood donation but were nevertheless, driven by the same desire to make a difference, began the conceptualization of the project in September this year. Learning from the event’s 2004-debut, they were determined to make its comeback a memorable success.

“The aim of a truly magical Christmas is to promote the importance of blood donation and to promote it as a form of giving especially in this period of low blood supply,” explained Desmond Wang, 2nd-year Business student and Marketing Director of the Organizing Committee.

“We didn’t want this to be just another typical public drive, hence, from the start we engaged a number of performing groups within SMU to provide performances during the drive, partly to thank and entertain the donors, and partly to inspire potential donors,” said Yong Jian, first-year SMU student and Programs Director of the Organizing Committee.

Indeed, donors and public were kept entertained throughout the blood drive with the serenading performances by the SMU Music Interactive Club (M.I.C). Professional magicians added a touch of magic as they left the donors clapping in delight after gaping in awe at the unbelievable tricks that took place right in front of their eyes. Guitarist, Mr. Joel Loh, was also spotted within the donation area, delivering dedications to every 50th donor at the drive.

Publicity for the drive started from the first week of December as the giant posters and flags were raised all around the station. SMU students fanned through the entire area around Dhoby Ghaut over the weekend before the drive to distribute flyers while explaining the objectives of blood donation to and making appointment with interested donors. And instead of Santa Claus, the iconic Blood Buddy toured the station grounds to support the publicity efforts of the volunteers, much to the delight of both kids and adults who were extremely forth coming in their requests for photo opportunities. On 15th and 16th December, the Blood Buddy hopped onto the trains, catching many commuters by surprise. The strategic location of the drive and the generous support given by the venue sponsor, ComfortDelgro, to the publicity efforts meant that the drive would certainly not go unnoticed.

When interviewed, NUS Environmental Science undergraduate, Cheng Ho commended the initiatives of the organizing team and explained that convenience was the main factor that compelled him to give blood before heading to town for his Christmas shopping. “Give from the heart,” was his message to fellow youths who still reserved second thoughts about blood donation.

The drive was extended by over an hour on both days and when it finally concluded on the Saturday evening, a total of 369 packets of blood had been collected from a total of 528 registrants. Although this number fell short of the targeted 400 packets, the team was not discouraged.

“I felt that success is not just reaching the number target. It is the experiential journey that matters,” explained Desmond.

The entire experience had made great friends out of the organizing team, who had come together as complete strangers to one another in August this year. Indeed, many volunteers have expressed interest in contributing to next year’s “A Truly Magical Christmas”.

So, if you missed your chance this Christmas, there will always be the next.