Hundreds of people braved the cold and made their way to Melbourne’s Federation Square on June 14 to celebrate Australia being the host of World Blood Donor Day.

As donors, recipients and special guests entered the BMW Edge amphitheatre they were greeted by Blood Service mascot Billy the Blood Drop and 90 bright red mannequins strategically placed on every third chair to represent the one in three people who will need blood in their lifetime.

Speeches were given by various dignitaries including Chairman of the Blood Service Dr David Hamill, Health Minister Nicola Roxon and Aboriginal representative Joy Murphy. A flag handover to Spain, the 2010 World Blood Donor Day international hosts was also featured in the ceremony.

After the formalities, awards were given to outstanding donors from all over Australia for their valuable contributions. Pianist and blood recipient Anna Melville played to the crowd and a light brunch was served.

BMW Edge then turned into a cinema (complete with popcorn) with the airing of Australian Stories in the Year of the Blood Donor, a series of nine vignettes especially produced for The Year of the Blood Donor. The vignettes tell the stories of everyday Australians who have given or received life saving blood, including mother Judith Jones who needed blood to have a full-term pregnancy, Black Hawk survivor Bill Mark and cancer survivor Tali Dunnage-Burke.

Guests were then encouraged to explore World Blood Donor Day art installations in the square and get their blood type tested in ‘The Dome’.The Dome and its smaller counterpart ‘The Luna’ were part of a National travelling exhibition which targeted Australia’s largest cities and some regional towns recently giving Australians the chance to not only find out what their blood types are, but also take in some of the Blood Service’s rich 80-year history and sign up to donate.