On November 14, the central blood station in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, announced through the public WeChat account “Changzhou Blood Donation” that residents who have donated blood 100 times or more in the Changzhou urban area from January 1, 2014 to December 30, 2024, can enjoy a free buffet meal at a hotel. This announcement stirred up discussions among netizens.
According to the detailed rules of the activity, qualified blood donors can present their ID card and blood donation certificate (paper or electronic) to enjoy a free buffet meal at a five-star hotel in Changzhou in December 2024. Accompanying adults can enjoy a discounted price of 268 yuan/person (original price 368 yuan/person).
Following the announcement, many netizens raised doubts, questioning, “Who can donate blood 100 times in 10 years?” and “Donating 100 times in 10 years basically requires donating every month, which is impossible!”
In response to this, the Changzhou Central Blood Station stated on November 15 to Upstream News, “The main targets of this event are citizens who donate platelets voluntarily, not citizens donating whole blood.” “If the body condition allows, platelets can be donated every two weeks, which means a maximum of 24 times a year.”
The staff also mentioned, “So far, there are over 80 residents in the area who meet the requirement of donating platelets 100 times.”
This response was mocked by netizens once again. Some said, “Are these over 80 people just a product of their imagination?” and “All 80 are within the system.” Others commented, “Real benefits should also be available to the common people.” “Why not just give me 300 buffet meals?” “Is it really worth it for just a meal?” “I just saw a news about free skiing for those above 65 the other day.” “Blood donation is supposed to be voluntary, but this feels more like a transaction and a commercial promotion for the hotel! That’s why everyone is so agitated.”
Some even joked, “Who can live to 180 years old? I’ll reward a house in Guangzhou.”