"Bomunsan Echo" Giveaway Event at Blood Donation Centers in Chungbuk Region
After blood donation centers across the country successfully boosted participation by offering the "Dubai Chewy Cookie (Dujjonku)" as a return gift, the Chungbuk regional blood donation centers announced that they will provide one of the most popular items from Sungsimdang, a signature bakery in Daejeon, as a gift.
According to the Blood Services Headquarters of the Korean Red Cross on February 4, the Chungbuk Blood Center will run a two-day event on February 12 and 13, during which donors who give whole blood or platelets at blood donation centers under its jurisdiction will receive "Bomunsan Echo," a popular bread from Sungsimdang.
Donors who visit the Seongan-gil Center, the Chungbuk National University Center, the Cheongju Terminal Center, the Garosu-gil Center, or the Chungju Center in the Chungbuk region and donate whole blood or platelets will receive one souvenir item and one Bomunsan Echo. The gifts will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis to 300 people per day, and the promotion may end early if supplies run out.
Bomunsan Echo, inspired by Mount Bomunsan in Daejeon, is a moist pastry rolled into a spiral shape, featuring layers of soft bread brushed with gold rum syrup. It was launched in 2012 to commemorate Sungsimdang’s opening in Daejeon Station, and has been regarded as one of Sungsimdang’s signature items along with its "Fried Soboro" bun, even before Sungsimdang became a nationally known bakery brand.
With blood supplies under strain as blood donations decrease in the winter season, blood centers nationwide have encouraged participation by offering return gifts inspired by the so-called Dujjonku craze. According to the Korean Red Cross and others, blood centers in regions including Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongnam recently held promotions in which donors visiting their respective blood donation centers received Dujjonku. In particular, they focused on donors giving whole blood and platelet donations, which are relatively more difficult to secure among component donations.
Since the events began, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of citizens visiting blood donation centers. On February 2, Kwon Soyoung, head of the Blood Services Headquarters of the Korean Red Cross, said on YTN’s "Wise Radio Life," "As of the 1st, the blood inventory stands at about 5.5 days’ worth, which is an appropriate level," adding, "At blood donation centers where the 'Dujjonku' event is underway, the number of reserved donors has increased to more than two to three times the usual level, and as the 'Dujjonku' blood donation campaign has spread, public interest in blood donation has also risen significantly."
She continued, "The number of teenagers and people in their 20s with no prior blood donation experience has increased, and more people are coming back to the blood donation centers," adding, "At one point, the red blood cell inventory fell to around a three-day supply, approaching the warning level, but thanks to the valuable participation of many citizens after the (Dujjonku) event, blood inventory levels have recovered."
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