President Milanović Bestows Decorations upon Volunteer Blood Donors on Volunteer Blood Donor Day
On the occasion of Volunteer Blood Donor Day the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović bestowed today upon volunteer blood donors of 2020 the Order of the Croatian Star with the Effigy of Katarina Zrinska for the noble and humanitarian act of donating blood more than one hundred times for men and seventy-five times for women.
In his address President Milanović expressed his gratitude to the volunteer blood donors on behalf of the Croatian state and on his behalf. “Thanks to you who selflessly give of yourselves in the hope that a small young group of people like you exists that will take your place and continue the same noble practice of giving of themselves in a country where volunteering and helping others without a fee and without expecting a favour in return is poorly developed. We lag behind western European states that perhaps are not as warm and caring as our people are, but when help is needed they are there. A huge exception in Croatia is volunteer blood donors: you. This is the third time that we are holding this kind of ceremony. I can say only once again many thanks to you. I won’t tell you to continue, I think you have given enough of yourselves, and if you continue, even better. I am confident that others will take your places here, and soon. Thank you and I wish you good health and a long life”, President Milanović told the decorated volunteer blood donors.
At the ceremony in the Office of the President the Order of the Croatian Star with the Effigy of Katarina Zrinski was awarded to 64 volunteer blood donors out of 178 to be decorated. They are the following: Damir Anić, Davor Barlafa, Zlatko Bašlin, Ivan Bebek, Miljenko Benc, Branko Blažek,Ivan Bosilj, Franjo Bračko, Ibrahim Brkić, Anđelko Butorajac, Miroslav Čeme, Goran Čirjak, Ivan Črepinko, Ruža Đurček, Ivan Farkaš, Zvonko Galik, Ivica Grudić, Jure Hodak, Damir Horak, Ivica Huzanić, Hrvoje Jurašić, Petar Jurić, Davor Klepin, Željko Kočiš, Zdravko Kolobarić, Hrvoje Komljenović, Igor Kontošić, Božidar Kozulić, Zdravko Kralj, Vladimir Krapinec, Darko Krmpotić, Darko Lazar, Zdravko Lovrenščak, Dinko Mališa, Željko Marinović, Damir Markalaus, Marino Marušić, Zoran Matovina, Dražen Medvedec, Jadranko Mihalić, Đuro Mihoci, Milan Milolaža, Esnaf Novljaković, Stipo Pavlović, Blanka Perasić, Željko Petranović, Krsto Poljak, Damir Popović, Ivan Priman, Željko Radivoj, Drago Roksa, Robert Savić, Vilko Schwaller, Mladen Seleš, Miroslav Šanda, Ivan Šemnički, Zdravko Štefanić, Bosiljko Tadić, Vlado Tominac, Tulio Valenta, Silvio Vasari, Zvonko Vrabac, Branko Vrbanac and Lučano Žiković. The remaining volunteer blood donors awarded in 2020 will receive their decorations at a ceremony next week.
Attending the ceremony in the Office of the President of the Republic were Croatian Red Cross Deputy Executive President Marina Pinjagić Telak, the Head of the Department for Volunteer Blood Donations Božica Bortek, and the Head of the Department for Volunteer Blood Donations Šani Samardžić.
Alongside President Milanović were the Head of the Cabinet of the President Bartol Šimunić, the Adviser to the President for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić and the Adviser to the President for Education Jadranka Žarković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta, Filip Glas