Red Cross blood drives in Belgium and Germany offer incentives to boost summer supplies

The Belgian Red Cross organized a blood‑donation event on 12 August at the Raeren Driesch school auditorium, running from 16:00 to 20:00. Donors are encouraged to bring friends, and each participant receives two loyalty points on a “Merci‑Card”, which can be redeemed for small gifts or meals for the homeless. The drive targets new and lapsed donors to address a summer shortfall in blood reserves, especially for rare Rh‑negative groups.

In Germany, the Bavarian Red Cross partnered with Cineplex Bayreuth for a one‑day drive on 11 August, 14:00‑19:00, moving the collection site from the usual Red Cross house to the cinema. Every donor receives a free cinema ticket in addition to the standard donation cup. The initiative aims to attract first‑time donors during the holiday season, when blood supplies are especially tight; the Bavarian service reports a daily need of about 2,000 donations to support accident victims, cancer patients and surgery patients.