Blood Donors of America (BDA) and the Nepalese Association of Southeast America (NASeA) are not-profit, non-religious, non-political 501(c)-3 voluntary organizations. BDA works to enhance blood donation and convey healthy living message to the Nepali community all over USA whereas NASeA works to preserve Nepali cultural values and traditions in the Nepali community. In the previous years, summer had been a time to conduct blood drives all across America and BDA had collected as much as 153 pints of blood at one location in mega blood donation drive to help reduce the shortage of blood. BDA has been recognized as a savior in the cities like Dallas, TX and Denver, CO, when blood banks feel blood shortage, as there is no replacement of human blood. BDA has been working closely with blood banks like Red Cross, Carter Blood Center, Vitalant, Life South through central, regional, as well as state level committees.
This year, it became very challenging to conduct blood donation drives at our locations due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many BDA members as well as other regular donors are hesitant to donate due to safety concern. Still there is the regular demand of blood, which needs to be fulfilled by motivating the donors, as human blood cannot be synthesized artificially. BDA has told its fellow members to donate at blood banks, while keeping themselves safe. Later, BDA decided to conduct synchronized blood donations on Sep-26-2020, as per its tradition, to help blood banks maintaining constant supply of blood. Since BDA’s policy is to work with local organizations to enhance blood donation activities, it has worked closely with various Nepali organizations including NASeA for successful synchronized blood donation drive in last two years. BDA’s official tie with NASeA after signing MOU recently on Sep-05-2020 has made it more special and challenging for both BDA and NASeA to make even more successful drive in this third year of synchronized blood donation campaign. It wouldn’t have started any better time than this year with the dire need of blood due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite various hurdles for organizing blood donation events during this COVID-19 pandemic time, this synchronized blood donation event was a huge success. 174 pints, that’s almost 22 whopping gallons of blood, were collected during the synchronized blood donation. As many as 522 human lives can be saved with this amount of blood. These selfless, voluntary acts of kindness and humanitarian work are always considered as praiseworthy activities in the public eye and within societies. Also, blood banks had offered free antibody tests for COVID-19 to the donors. The negative result of this test would suggest that the individual had never contracted the virus. Donors took advantage of this test for their peace of mind.
BDA and NASeA would like to appreciate and express sincere thanks to all blood donors, “Our Social Heroes“, State/Local coordinators, volunteers, media e.g. ENepalese, Himalayan Times, and various local organizations including NCNC, TNCC, NRNA local chapters involved in this event. We are more thankful to families of BDA General Secretary Mr. Satish C Gupta, Arizona State Coordinator Mr. Tilak Mahato, Wisconsin State Coordinator Mr. Tuka Regmi with three family members donating and Colorado State Coordinator Mr. Shree Ram Luitel with two family members donating on that day. Immediate Past President and Chief Adviser of BDA, Dr Nanda Regmi, Presidents of BDA Dr. Lila Raj Dahal, President of and NASeA Mr. Binaya Aryal, BDA Executive VP Mr. Resham Gharti, NASeA General Secretary Mr. Krishna Shrestha, and BDA General Secretary and the synchronized blood donation event coordinator Mr. Satish C Gupta also deserve our sincere gratitude for their respective roles in architecting this event , coordinating the events and reaching out to the public and our communities via various media outlets.
This event would not have been successful without the help of all the local blood banks / blood collection agencies e.g. Red Cross, Carter BloodCare, Vitalant, Life South etc. Huge thanks go to them for their support, help and coordination.
Here is the list of cities in various states with the number of donors and the coordinators worked tirelessly to make it success:
| S.N. | City | State | No. of Donors | Coordinators |
| 1. | Stamford | CT | 26 | Deepak Khatiwada (BDA), Hari Joshi, Ram Ojha (NRNA local chapter) |
| 2. | Glen Bernie | MD | 1 | Balananda Bhandari (BDA) |
| 3. | Morrisville | NC | 27 | Rabindra Karki, Thakur Karki, Dharma Pantha (NCNC, NASeA), Narayan Luitel (BDA) |
| 4. | High Point | NC | 4 | Prashim Poudel (TNCC, NASeA), Sabitri Ranabhat (NASeA), Binaya Aryal (NASeA) |
| 5. | Greenville | SC | 5 | Satish Gupta (BDA) |
| 6. | West Palm Beach | FL | 18 | Krishna Shrestha (BDA) |
| 7. | Orlando | FL | 1 | Krishna Shrestha (BDA) |
| 8. | Clearwater | FL | 1 | Ajay Satyal (INBD) |
| 9. | Toledo | OH | 3 | Dr. Lila Raj Dahal (BDA) |
| 10. | Lexington | KY | 5 | Dilu Ram Parajuli (BDA) |
| 11. | Nashville | TN | 4 | Bharat Pokharel, Dr. Ghanashyam Bhatta (BDA) |
| 12. | Huntsville | AL | 5 | Madhav Mainali (BDA) |
| 13. | Chicago | IL | 4 | Dr. Bishnu Phuyal (BDA) |
| 14. | Appleton | WI | 12 | Tuk Regmi (BDA, NRNA) |
| 15. | Des Moines | IA | 1 | Sanjay Shrestha, Bipin Tamrakar (BDA) |
| 16. | Dallas | TX | 8 | Shiva Kaphle, Ganga Thapa, Ajay Bagale, Santosh Karki (BDA) |
| 17. | Lubbock | TX | 7 | Resham Gharti, Prem Shrestha (BDA) |
| 18. | Denver | CO | 3 | Tika Poudel, Shree Ram Luitel (BDA) |
| 19. | Tuscan | AZ | 3 | Tilak Mahato (BDA) |
| 20. | San Luis Obispo | CA | 2 | Dr. Siroj Pokharel, Rajan Kandel (BDA) |
| 21. | Los Angeles | CA | 34 | Sharada Shrestha, Eka Dev Sharma (BDA) with Newah Organization of America, NOA |
Total Number of donors = 174
As said earlier, this was a successful synchronized blood donation organized by BDA and well supported by NASeA. Of course, more organizations e.g. NRNA in the levels at various cities, NCNC and TNCC at North Carolina, and World Newa Organization, WNO at Los Angeles, CA participated/lead the event. BDA will approach other organizations e.g. ANMA, NRNA, WNO, NOA and encourage them to sign MOU or work with BDA for blood donation events so that joint efforts can be made to have more participations in the future blood donation campaigns all across America.
Thank you very much.
Respectfully
BDA and NASeA
Binaya Aryal
President, NASeA
“Everyone wash your hand , stay at home and save yourself and others “# Covid-19
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