NBSZ presents prizes Valentine’s Day donors

The award ceremony was held at the NBSZ centre on Tuesday last week.
The first and second prizes were sponsored by Rainbow Hotel while Esats Super Stores sponsored the third prize.
The first prize went to Mr Tafadzwa and Mrs Ruby Gatsi of Lorne Star Mine while the first runner up was Mr Khumbulani Mpofu and wife Cynthia, of Nkulumane and the second runner up was Miss Pamela Changweda of Thorngrove.
In an interview, the vice-chairman of NBSZ committee, Mr Sipho Bulle said the first and second prizes comprised dinner, bed and breakfast and the third, a 12-piece set of pots.
The presentation of the first prize, which was the “Couples Only Draw” won by Mr and Mrs Gatsi was conducted on Monday.
An elated winner in the Married People’s Draw, Mr Mpofu said he was happy and surprised when he got the call informing him that he was one of the lucky winners of the Valentine’s Day blood donations.
“I feel great and I am happy about this. When I came to donate, all I thought about was to save lives, so to me getting the prize was like an incentive for my donation,” said Mr Mpofu.
He thanked the NBSZ for presenting such an opportunity to him and his family and encouraged other people to continue donating blood.
In the Singles Only Draw, the lucky winner of the 12-piece set of pots, Miss Pamela Changweda could not hide her joy.
“I was surprised when I received a call while I was at the Plumtree Border Post informing me that I should be at NBSZ centre at around 2pm as I was one of the winners of the Valentine’s Day blood donations,” said Miss Changweda.
She urged the youth to donate more blood not because of the benefits but in a bid to save lives.
Sister Anastasia Lubimbi of NBSZ hailed the outcome of the event despite the challenges that they faced as it was the first of its kind in the country.
“The blood donation was well attended but we wished more couples could have taken part. Despite that, the event was a success and we hope people will keep  on donating,” said Sister Lubimbi.
Mr Mark Crumplin, an NBSZ committee member expressed satisfaction with the event and hoped they would do better next year.