Vatican Museums Offer Free Admission Tickets to Blood Donors
Health experts say donating blood is beneficial in many ways, foremost of which is that the donated blood can save people's lives.
In the Vatican, there's an additional incentive for donating blood: The donor gets a free ticket to the Vatican Museums, the Catholic News Agency reports.
Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, aptly described the new initiative: "Without blood, there is no life. Without art, life would be empty and sad."
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The idea was hatched following a tie-up between Rome's Gemelli University Hospital and the blood donor group "Francesco Olgiati," in collaboration with the Vatican Museums.
The agreement allows people who donate blood to receive a voucher, which they can use to gain entrance into the Vatican Museums. Another incentive is that they need not wait in line to buy the tickets. The vouchers, which are worth 4 euro each, can be used until the last day of 2017.
Visitors to the Vatican Museums can marvel at the masterpieces of painting, sculpture and other works of art collected by popes through the centuries.
The Museums include great works of art, including the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's famous frescoes can be seen on the ceiling.
Although donating blood is all about helping other people, Health.com says there are also some benefits for the donors.
It says donating blood makes a person's blood flow better, resulting in fewer arterial blockages. According to the American Journal of Epidemiology, blood donors are 88 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack.
People who donate blood also get a free mini check-up. One of the best incentives in donating blood is that doing good for others is one way to live a longer life, according to a study published in Health Psychology. The study found that people who volunteered for altruistic reasons had a significantly reduced risk of mortality.
The American Red Cross says donating blood is beneficial simply because "you'll feel good knowing you've helped change a life."
"Some of us give blood because we were asked by a friend. Some know that a family member or a friend might need blood some day. Some believe it is the right thing we do," it says. "Whatever your reason, the need is constant and your contribution is important for a healthy and reliable blood supply."
