A group of blood donators were invited to Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou on June 14 to take part in a special event held to mark the 2019 World Blood Donor Day.

The donors shared their experiences on blood donation and stories about their life during the activity.

Ai Wenxiu is a civil servant who has been donating her blood since 1999. To mark her 20th year of blood donation and 10, 000 milliliters of blood given, she took her son to take part in this special act to mark his 18th birthday.

Bernard Jackson, a 24 year old from India, also joined in the blood donation campaign on June 14. Despite having come to China eight years ago, the student who studies at Jinan University said this is the first time he has donated blood in China.

"India and China are good friends. I am happy that my blood can help my Chinese brothers and sisters," Jackson said.

More than 380,000 people donate their blood in Guangzhou every year. They have saved the lives of countless people and promoted the development of the city's medical cause. We should give more respect and recognition to them, said the Party secretary of the Guangzhou Blood Center.

Over the next few years, Guangzhou will strengthen services caring for blood donors, launching initiatives to benefit blood donors and optimizing the fee reimbursement process when the donors need blood in the future, he added.

According to statistics, 377,300 people made blood donations in Guangzhou in 2018, with the total blood supply ranking second in the country.