Austrian league masters Sturm Graz attracts blood donors with trophy
The queue rings long outside Sport Klub Sturm Graz training facility in Messendorf on Graz’s eastern outskirts. Mirko Konrad is one of those waiting to give blood. It was obvious for him to stand when the club called for blood donors after the school shooting on Tuesday.
– It is difficult to know how to help, but you can always do something small. I think it is a cool way to support together with « Sturms » supports, says Mirko Konrad.
The blood center was set up after the city’s hospital asked the Red Cross aid organization for help. Blood layers began to be the same as the number of injured from the upper secondary school where Tuesday’s mass shooting took place arrived at the emergency room.
– They said, « We need blood now, directly, » says Marko Ikonic, who is responsible for the provisional blood center.
The club contacted the Red Cross and offered its training facility. « Come to the training center in Messendorf and give blood – it saves Liv! Graz stands united, » the club writes in a press release. They also attract with the opportunity to see the league apartment and the public joined.
– I wanted to come even before I knew they had the league apartment here, but it is a nice bonus to be able to take a picture with it, says Mirko Konrad.
Ten people were murdered in the worst mass shooting in the history of the country before the perpetrator took his own life. Around ten people are still being cared for in hospitals for their injuries, but the situation is said to be stable for all.
Marko iconic says that most people who have come to give blood are first -time donors. During the day, 70 people have already donated – and late Wednesday evening over 100 stood in line to leave blood.
– In a big city like Graz you easily forget about your neighbors. Unfortunately, sometimes something terrible is required for people to wake up and ask how they can help.
On Tuesday, before it was known that a mass shooting took place, Cohen Cottrell-Greimel worked in his Red Cross uniform to distribute flyers to motivate people to become blood donors. He saw a « military -like vehicle » gas out of a police station centrally in the city and then to slow down when the driver saw him.
– The police screamed: « It’s an ongoing shooting, we need all the help we can get. » The last thing I saw was that he pressed the plate in the carpet and stuck.
And then you went to school?
– No, I would have liked to help, but I’m not trained for it.
But now you’re here.
– Now I’m here. That’s the least I can do.
Lukas Loder is a coach at the club for children under twelve years. He says that in the children’s faces you could see that they were cut when they came to training on Tuesday night. He has tried to explain to them that it is okay to be sad and not to understand.
His ten-year-old daughter asked him « why that boy did so ».
– I replied that I can’t explain, but I can say that there are two types of people. Those standing together in the square in Graz and then some percent with dangerous idiots.
He sees Strum Graz as a large family and says that people’s hour -long queues to give blood is a nice expression of solidarity that the Graz residents know with each other and the victims.
« That’s why I smile, » he says.
Stefanie Horwath is a nurse and heard that the blood reserves began to get low.
– It is a horrible situation but I think we can all help by giving blood or talking to children about what has happened, she says.
– We stand united.
The message echoes familiar. On Tuesday, the team’s supporters quickly made a banner set up at school with the words « Graz stands united ».
American Kate reads a master’s in computer science in the university city of Graz. She lives near the school and heard sirens and helicopters before the news had reported on the shooting. Kate felt scared and helpless.
– This helps fight it. People need blood and I can give it, she says.
