The Sun Siyam Group has successfully concluded this year's edition of its annual blood drive, celebrating the group's 36th anniversary.

The group's anniversary falls on May 8, which also coincides with Thalassemia Day. To mark the occasion, Sun Siyam Resorts organizes a yearly blood donation campaign at its headquarters and resorts.

This year, the group conducted six blood donation events, with the final one taking place on Saturday. During this event, employees from the group's head office in Malé and their family members donated blood at the Maldivian Blood Services (MBS) office in Hulhumalé.

Many employees and their families volunteered to donate blood during the campaign.

The Sun Siyam Group’s annual blood drive has seen a steady increase in the number of donors each year.

At a ceremony on Saturday celebrating the successful completion of this year’s drive, Ahmed Ibrahim, the Group’s Director of Human Resources and Talent Development, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond just celebrating the anniversary. 

He described it as a noble cause that helps save lives. “I want to sincerely thank the senior officials and employees of the Maldivian Blood Services, as well as our senior management, particularly our chairman and MD Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, our CEO, and the entire management team, for their support and cooperation,” he said.

Ahmed also mentioned that the group launched this initiative in 2015, and it has been ongoing for about 11 years, with a brief pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expressed happiness at seeing more donors participate this year compared to previous years.

Dr. Ahmed Umar, Senior Specialist Registrar in Pediatrics at MBS, praised the employees of Sun Siyam Group for their consistent effort in hosting blood drives every year. 

He hopes more organizations will follow their example. “I hope others will join in and help put an end to the culture where those in need of blood in the Maldives have to beg for it,” he stated.

Azza Hameed, the coordinator of the group’s blood donation campaign, highlighted that donating blood is a simple yet noble act of humanity. 

She added that it saves many lives and offers hope to countless families. 

Azza expressed pride that the annual blood drive, started in 2015, has become a significant tradition. “We are proud to see this initiative grow each year. Over 500 people donated blood this year, which is a huge success and reflects the compassion, awareness, and unity within our team,” she said.

She also anticipated even greater success next year.

This year’s blood drive began on May 9 at Sun Siyam Olhuveli and continued at Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, Sun Siyam Iru Veli, Siyam World—the group’s largest resort—and Sun Siyam Iru Fushi.