President Milanović Decorates 164 Voluntary Blood Donors and Tells Them: You are humanitarians because you do not choose whom you will help
“Thank you with all my heart and all the best! I’m not going to tell you ‘keep it up’, it’s time for others. Thank you for what you have done so far,” the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović told voluntary blood donors today on the occasion of marking World Blood Donor Day in Croatia, whom he decorated with the Order of the Croatian Star with the effigy of Katarina Zrinska for their noble and humanitarian deed of donating blood in 2021 at least a hundred times and at least seventy-five times, for men and women respectively.
In his address at a ceremony in the Office of the President, President Milanović called voluntary blood donors humanitarians because they do not choose or divide people based on their need for receiving blood. “You don’t choose, you don’t look and you don’t divide. That blood is for people. It is not written on the label who it is for – a Croat, Serb, a Jew from Ashkelon, an Arab from Gaza. It doesn’t matter, someone will need it,” said President Milanović.
He said that if a reason exists, he personally presents many decorations. “If there is a reason anywhere, then it exists in your case – to shake everyone’s hand and thank them on behalf of the Croatian state,” President Milanović concluded.
The decoration Order of the Croatian Star with the effigy of Katarina Zrinska was received by the following 164 voluntary blood donors for the year 2021: Al-Wakil Alen, Andrec Željko, Antić Milan, Auguštin Mirko, Babnik Marijan, Balković Damir, Beato Vladimir, Bedeniković Petar, Begić Dejan, Bešenić Mladen, Bilić Vlado, Bilić Tonći, Blažek Damir, Božić Antun, Bravdica Luciano, Brezak Božidar, Brlečić Ivanka, Capar Martin, Car-Pavlic Krunoslav, Cetina Darko, Cindori Tihomir, Cinkuš Ivan, Cmrečak Marija, Cvok Damir, Čećnik Krešimir, Čižmarević Đurđica, Čutanec Biserka, Ćosić Josip, Debeljak Ranko, Denžić Ivan, Dobrić Nikola, Drempetić Vladimir, Đurček Darko, Filipec Željko, Filipović Milan, Filković Stjepan, Frljak Kristian, Gabre Ivo, Gardić Dragan, Gibanjek Davor, Godinić Ladislav, Golubić Marko, Gorek Matija, Gorupić Ivan, Grdić Branko, Gregorić Nedeljko, Gregurić Damir, Grlić Dragan, Grošek Stjepan, Gull David, Hanžeković Darko, Hegediš Ivica, Horvat Dražen, Horvatić Robert, Hrupek Vladimir, Huić Gordan, Ištvanić Tugomir, Jakab Antun, Jelić Milan, Jurlina Siniša, Kancijan Josip, Keran Beba, Kifer Tomislav, Kiseljak Boris, Klasić Viktor, Klemen Miroslav, Koledić Ivan, Konečni Vlado, Košta Igor, Kovačević Ahmet, Kršnjavi Goran, Krvavica Zlatko, Kucelj Damir, Kuk Vladimir, Kurilić Ivica, Kurtoić Goran, Kušter Vlado, Ladišić Josip, Laštre Ante, Lešić Mario, Lipnjak Nenad, Lipović Vera, Lončar Ivan, Lončarić Josip, Lovrić Zlatko, Lukčin Miroslav, Lukić Željko, Ljevar Ivica, Malek Marijan, Maligec Krešimir, Mamula Milorad, Manojlovski Leonid, Margetić Dalibor, Marić Zvonimir, Markiš Branko, Marušić Dario, Mašić Mirjana, Mateljan Mihailo, Matulin Tomislav, Mavriček Bojan, Mihalak Dragan, Mikulič Branko, Milovec Zdravko, Molnar Antun, Moučka Franjo, Nađ Siniša, Nežmahen Zoran, Novak Goran, Oršoš Božidar, Pajdak Jovan, Palada Siniša, Pavliček Đuro, Pellarini Josip, Perušić Nino, Petercol Rino, Pežić Željko, Piškorec Darko, Plentaj Tamara, Potočnjak Damir, Predrag Vladimir, Presnac Zlatko, Prugovečki Mladen, Putar Ivica, Radolović Anton, Ratajec Marijan, Rušec Marinko, Sabljak Srećko, Samardžić Vesnica, Sente Branko, Sili Ivan, Skrbin Ivan, Sminderovac Kristijan, Smolčić Borislav, Staničić Silvio, Strmečki Martin, Svržan Vladimir, Šafar Zvonimir, Šiltić Josip, Šimunović Zlatko, Škrapec Stjepan, Štangl Pavo, Štefan Boris, Štimac Igor, Švogor Stanko,Tašler Željko, Telesmanić Anđelko, Tisanić Boris,Tomašek Andrija, Tomašić Dražen, Toplek Dragutin, Trajbar Željko, Tramontana Boris, Trgovec-Greif Ninoslav, Turk Mladen, Uremović Luciana, Varžić Josip, Velko Vladimir, Vužar Željko, Wolff Aleksandar, Zaninović Vicko, Zorc Hrvoje, Zrinjski Zdravko, Žitnjak Zdravka, Žnidarić Ivan.
Voluntary blood donor Ivana Brlečić spoke on behalf of the award recipients, who thanked the President of the Republic for the decorations, explaining that since the circle of solidarity in the country has been preserved, Croatia is one of the few countries that boast sufficient quantities of safe blood. “This is a national asset for every country, because sickness and infirmity know no delay. I believe that each one of us is proud of the fact that with their blood they have helped save or prolong someone’s life, just as the nobility of others will perhaps one day save their lives,” said Ms. Brlečić.
Attending the ceremony at the Office of the President were the President of the Croatian Red Cross Josip Jelić, Executive President of the Croatian Red Cross Robert Markt and Director of the Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine Dr. Irena Jukić.
The Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Education Jadranka Žarković, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Culture Zdravko Zima and Assistant Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic Goran Grobotek were alongside President Milanović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta, Marko Beljan