Blood Donation and Plantation Drive, Held at Sacred Heart Church Surathkal
Mangaluru: Sacred Heart Church, Surathkal in association with MRPL Mangalore, St Aloysius Deemed to be university, and local associations organized a Blood Donation Camp and plantation drive on Sunday 14 July 2024 at the church premises.
Fr Austin Peter Peres, Vicar Forane, St Mother Teresa of Kolkata Vicariate, presided over the inaugural programme held at the Church Sabha Bhavan hall, along with chief guests Mr Prashanth Baliga, GM CSR, MRPL, Dr Ashok, Wenlock Hospital, Mr Russel Roche Vice President Parish Pastoral Council, Mr Norbert Misquith, Treasurer Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh (R) Surathkal unit and Mr Steevan Pinto the Programme Coordinator.
With the tagline, “Donate blood, give life to Humans and plant a sapling, give life to the Earth“, the programme was symbolically inaugurated with planting a sapling along with guests and other collaborators of the event.
In his presidential address, Fr Austin stressed the importance of blood donation and the need of Mother Earth for our survival. Chief Guest Mr Prashanth Baliga spoke about the corporate social responsibilities of MRPL, especially about blood donation and the environment.
Along with blood donation, the students of St Aloysius, Deemed to be university, joined hands in planting the saplings in the Church and School grounds. The students with other volunteers, planted 200 saplings in three different locations in the church campus. Some of the students from the Sahaya group of the college donated blood.
After the blood donation, some of the blood donors planted saplings to give life to the earth on the campus.
The planting drive concluded with lunch and evaluation.
The Wenlock Hospital staff carried out the Blood Donation camp.
The members of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) led the prayer, Ms Diana, Secretary of ICYM, compered the programme, and Mr Olwin D’Souza, President of Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh (R), Surathkal unit, delivered the vote of thanks.