There are few noble deeds than saving lives by donating blood in this world, and to commemorate this virtuous act, the World Health Organisation (WHO) came up with the idea of celebrating World Blood Donor Day annually on June 14. It is a day to raise awareness about the importance of blood donation and to thank those who contribute to the blood banks. Blood requirements are often critical events that can define life and death, and it is thus imperative to have a commendable supply of blood variants available at all times and all places. In order to ensure the safe supply of blood transfusion, a massive co-ordinated effort is needed by the medical bodies, which is often a challenging and thankless job. On World Blood Donor Day 2020, we take a look seven celebrity blood donors who have contributed in saving lives from time to time. World Blood Donor Day 2020 Date And Significance: Know The History of the Day That Encourages Blood Donation.

Cristiano Ronaldo: A frequent blood donor, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the unofficial brand ambassador for blood donation on the planet. The sporting great has a vast reach and regularly speaks about the importance of donating blood. He has also refused to have a tattoo on his skin in order to be in perfect condition to be a donor.

Gary Lineker: Former English striker Gary Lineker’s son George survived a rare form of Leukaemia as a young child, and this prompted Lineker to promote blood donation actively. He had spoken about the importance of National Blood Week and why is it essential to boost blood storage when England hosted major events like Olympics in 2012. The occurrence of sporting extravaganza often led to the disruption of blood donation and hence the initiative by Gary Linekar. Are You Putting Yourself at A Risk of COVID-19 By Donating Blood in A Hospital-Setting? Here's How to Donate Blood Safely During the Pandemic!

Jackie Chan: Although superstar Jackie Chan fears needles, he is a regular blood donor and over the years has taken part in several ad campaigns where he has encouraged people to donate blood. 

Tom Hanks: Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson recently beat the dreaded COVID 19 virus and in order to contribute to the development of a vaccine for this disease, the couple donated both blood and plasma.

Kedar Jadhav: India middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav took to the kind act of donating blood on his birthday. In 2016, he visited the Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospital Deccan in Pune and contributed to the blood bank.

Rahul Dravid: Indian batting legend Rahul Dravid is known as a gentleman both on and off the pitch. So when many of his fellow cricketers were busy with “Ice Bucket Challenge” on social media, the Wall donated blood to patients in Bengaluru.

Nani: Telugu superstar Nani and his wife did their bit to help children suffering with Thalassemia by donating blood. They reached out to the NTR Trust in order to donate blood and save lives.

On World Blood Donor Day 2020, let us thank everyone who contributes in maintaining the blood supply chain. From the donors to the medical fraternity involved in the transfusion, everyone is playing his part in saving lives.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2020 10:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).