Hotelier makes a difference by donating blood
Print Edition
Seasoned hotelier Jürgen Sterkau, general manager of JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Changfeng Park, can look back at an inspirational career that has taken him across the world, but there’s one thing that makes him particularly proud: In every country he’s worked in, he has donated blood.
Starting his apprenticeship in Europe as a teenager, the German native first donated blood when he was 17 — part of the grown-up experience, he says.
“Culture wise, Chinese people don’t like to donate blood whereas donating blood in my home country is very normal, or part of the grown-up experience. And giving a liter of blood each year won’t hurt your health,” he says.
Sterkau started his career in a hotel kitchen and climbed the career ladder up to the top.
Like every successful hotelier, the general manager has got a passion for his job, which he said, is about taking care of the people — both the guests and the associates. For Sterkau, that extends to giving back to society by joining one or two blood drives each year, where he donates about 400 milliliters of blood each time.
Last year, Sterkau received the “Blood Donation Magnolia Award” by Shanghai’s Blood Administration Office.
“To donate some of my blood is the best way to help others and I feel excited to receive that award,” Sterkau, who has worked in hospitality for more than three decades, said.
Besides donating blood himself, Sterkau is also encouraging more of his associates to participate. Staff will get time off for joining a blood drive and a financial remuneration of 1,000 yuan (US$152).
He also tells his staff that donating blood comes with the additional perk of getting a small health check.
“Your blood will be checked every time you join a drive which means you receive a free small health checkup,” Sterkau said.
Previously, Sterkau worked at Marriott’s Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel, where he managed to increase the number of staff who regularly donated blood from 30 to 70.
Sterkau says that he spends the money he receives for his donations to buy some gifts and food, like milk powder and blankets, for children in an orphanage in Hongkou District when he pays his annual Christmas visit with his associates.
“I was shocked to see the big differences between the wealthy middle class in Shanghai and the poor people,” Sterkau said, referring to his first visit to the orphanage many years ago when he couldn’t hold back his tears.
“The sanitary condition at the orphanage was poor and there wasn’t enough food. Some of the children are handicapped or have mental problems, and they were abandoned by their parents,” Sterkau said.
“Every time we went there, they held us very tight and wouldn’t let us go because they had very little physical contact with people except the nurses. It was really very touching,” he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
