site.btaPlastic Caps Campaign to Donate Mobile Blood Donation Units in Five More Cities

This year the I Believe and Help campaign aims to raise BGN 1 million and to donate mobile blood donation units to the blood donation centers in Burgas, Pleven, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora and Sofia, Vladislav Nikolov, chairman of association and organizer of the initiative, told BTA on Saturday

He recalled that a year and a half ago Varna was the first city in the country to receive such a mobile unit. Thanks to the campaign, the city has two new specialized ambulances for children.

This is the 12th edition of I Believe and Help, Nikolov recalled. He said that this year the initiative turns 10 years old and already counts on serious support from the business sector. “In 2016, we started with 2,000 BGN in donations, we finished 2024 with nearly 800,000 BGN in proceeds from companies,” Nikolov said. He recalled that the campaign also relies heavily on products with a cause. “Currently we have nearly 70 items with a cause, by the end of the year we hope to have 100,” Nikolov said. According to him, the association will sign several new contracts with companies that will support the initiative. Overnight stays with a cause will be offered by the King's Valley Medical and Spa Hotel in Kazanlak. The campaign will also continue to rely on cause tickets from the football champion Ludogorets.

“One kilogram of bottles caps BGN 0.50, we collect BGN 30, 000 BGN annually,” Nikolov added. He said that the remaining funds, up to BGN 1 million, will be provided through corporate and individual donations and the sale of products with a cause.

The I Believe and Help charity campaign is the first initiative in the country to collect plastic bottle caps for recycling. In its ten years of existence, over 340,000 kg of caps have been handed over for recycling. The campaign has donated more than 25 types of medical devices, equipment and machinery to various medical institutions, in addition to the two children's ambulances and the mobile blood donation unit.