By calling the hotline number 060 9000 during the great humanitarian concert, citizens donated 537,516 kuna, which will enable us to have 495 new blood samples tissue typed and entered into the Registry of voluntary bone marrow and stem cell donors. The traditional humanitarian Christmas concert “I want life” was held for the fifth year in a row and thus heralded in the fifth anniversary of the work of the Ana Rukavina Foundation in 2011.
In front of a huge audience on Zagreb’s Jelačić Square, the following singers performed: Alibi, Bojan Jambrošić, Colonia, E.T., Emilija Kokić, Feminnem, Franka Batelić, Jole, Karma, Kim Verson, Lana Klingor, Jacques Houdek and Novi Fosili. On behalf of the Ana Rukavina Foundation, they thanked all of those people who throughout the year have in some way taken part in the work of the Ana Rukavina Foundation. A number of public figures also participated by working in the call center, which was organized in the Press Club on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Croatian Journalists’ Association.
The Student Union of the University of Zagreb and the students of the School of Medicine took part in the Foundation’s concert by organizing an action to join the Registry of voluntary donors. They collected 323 new blood samples that will be entered into the Registry. In that way, the students showed what the future of the Ana Rukavina Foundation is bright and safe. The student action was supported by celebrities who raised 10,000 kuna by selling the Foundation’s promotional materials.
“We are grateful to all the people who have in some way taken part in this action and those who have supported our work throughout the year. Yesterday we tissue typed another 1000 blood samples, and thus the number of potential donors listed in the Registry has reached 20,275. Ana continues to live through us in this way, and thanks to the work of our Foundation, her desire for life has brought hope to many sick people,” said Marija Rukavina, director of the Foundation.
The initiative to start the Ana Rukavina Foundation was launched after Ana’s death in November 2006 (established March 14, 2007), and next year it will celebrate the five year anniversary of its activities.