More than 3,380 kilometers in three weeks, crossing the “belpaese” of Italy. Following its start in Holland on May 6, the Giro d’Italia bike race began traversing the boot from Catanzaro (Calabria) on May 10, on the way to its finish in Torino on May 29. Twenty-one stages crossing 500 municipalities. An event not just for the fans of cycling but for anyone who loves sport, entertainment, and the competition that characterize this grand event now in its 99th year.
A pickup truck from FIDAS (Federazione Italiana Associazioni Donatori di Sangue, the Italian Federation of Blood Donor Associations) will take part in the Giro Caravan for the second consecutive year, representing 73 donor Associations from 18 Regions of Italy. On board will be young donors distributing giveaways and informational materials about blood and plasma donation.
“Despite having talked about it for almost a century, it’s difficult to dispel misconceptions about blood donation and its uses. Although the system for blood transfusions has been completely transformed in the course of the last twenty years, often gray areas remain, particularly among the generation that lived through critical periods. For this reason FIDAS decided to come down to the track again,” said FIDAS national president, Aldo Ozino Caligaris. “By taking part in the Giro Caravan we want to contribute to dispelling these misconceptions that don’t help the blood system, and to sustain and defend with every tool at our disposal the responsible donation of blood and its components, voluntarily and not for payment, that is the inalienable heritage of the blood transfusion system in Italy.”
It will happen with the support of Kedrion Biopharma, which acts as a bridge between donors and patients and occupies a fundamental role as a partner in the Italian system to help the Country reach the objective of self-sufficiency in plasma-derived pharmaceutical therapies.
“Our company has always supported the transfusion networks and remains close to the world of donors who commit themselves to sustaining and promoting the excellence of the Italian model,” said Danilo Medica, Kedrion Biopharma’s Italy Country Manager. “We’re talking about a model unique in the world, built on the contribution of more than 1.7 million donors, most of them from associations, who with their periodic, anonymous, informed, and unpaid donations form the foundation of the entire Italian blood system.”
Follow the Caravan and the Giro d’Italia on its journey across Italy by entering the hashtag #dissetalavita on your social networks.
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