The awarded men donated blood more than 100 times and women more than 75 times.
The president called the voluntary blood donors humanitarians because they do not choose whom they donate their blood to. "You don't choose, you don't discriminate. This blood is for people. The declaration doesn't say who it is for, whether it is for a Croat, a Serb, a Jew from Ashkelon or an Arab from Gaza. It makes no difference, someone will need it," Milanović said at the ceremony.
Speaking on behalf of the medal recipients, Ivanka Brlečić said that they come from various parts of Croatia and symbolise its solidarity and nobleness.
"I believe that each and every one of us present here today is proud of the fact that our blood helped save a person or prolong their life. (...) Donating our blood fulfils us and makes us happy and we consider it our way of life," Brlečić said.