Kaohsiung offers bear mugs to blood donorsGIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor saidBy Hsu Li-chuan,Tang Shih-ming and Esme Yeh / Staff reporters, with staff writerBlood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. TSG Hawks cheerleader Kaya, center, poses with a blood donation mascot, left, and Taiwan Black Bear Conservation Association mascot Heibao at a news conference in Kaohsiung yesterday. Donations from young people have decreased over the past few years amid a falling birthrate and aging population, while blood demand continues to rise, he said. The Taichung Blood Donation Center on Sunday also held a blood drive with the goal of amassing 60,000 units this month.

Source: Taipei Times January 19, 2026 17:12 UTC