Ni Putu Liana, a restaurant employee in Kuta, went to a blood donor event held by the Federation of Tourism Workers Union (FSP Par) in Badung on Saturday.

After her blood pressure was checked, she entered the blood-taking booth, where 300 cc of her blood was pumped into a plastic bag.

"I feel pleased that I can take part in this kind of social activity while I'm young and healthy. Before this I had never even thought about it at all, until last year I was invited by a friend of mine to donate my blood," said Liana, who has donated blood four times.

Hundreds of tourism workers who are members of the federation were at the event to give blood.

Putu Satyawira Marhaendra, a member of the federation's Bali chapter, said his organization had actively held the group blood donations between two and four times a year since 2003.

He said the event was usually held in conjunction with national days, including Independence Day, National Awakening Day and Heroes Day. The one on Saturday was held at the time of the commemoration of the big war in Bali, popularly known as Puputan Badung.

"If our heroes were willing to sacrifice their lives, not only their blood, it's our turn to give our blood for those in the need," he said.

This activity, he said, was expected to stimulate community spirit and at the same time eliminate the negative image associated with the trade union.

Satyawira, an employee of the Melia Bali Villas, said trade unions were frequently associated with demanding rights through rallies, usually marked with clashes and other chaos. In the view of the community and the government, tourism workers are considered to be second class, after businesspeople, he added.

He further explained that by donating blood, "we want to prove we also have community feeling and desire to share with others. We don't work only to serve tourists and or join a union for the sake of looking after ourselves."

Satyawira mentioned other activities by his organization, such as donating to orphanages or individuals who really need help.

He said he was left satisfied by the positive response to the event, with hundreds of the union's 9,735 members taking part.

"Many others have also taken part in blood donation activities organized by their employers," he said.

At the blood donation event, head of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Blood Donors Association Tjok Gede Agung Adnyana awarded certificates of appreciation to five members of the tourism workers union in Badung who had donated blood 10 times.

The certificates entitle donors to special privileges if they or their family members are ever in need of a blood transfusion, Adnyana said.

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