Red Cross asks for ‘transfusion of blood, time and money' now

THIS ‘N' THAT

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Last week, Zabko announced that, as of June 9, the supply of O-negative blood was at less than one day's worth — approximately .2 of one day.

The supply of B-negative blood is only slightly better, with the Red Cross having access to only 1.1 days worth.

"Since 9-11, we've had that same situation," Zabko said Friday, referring to the ongoing low supplies of blood. "We have had a deficit for a couple of years now. People just kind of forget that [blood] is a commodity that is not manmade."

Zabko is urging area residents who are eligible to give blood to do so. "Eighty percent of the population that can donate, don't," he said. "If we all took the opportunity to donate blood, we wouldn't have this problem."

This summer, however, the local chapter of the Red Cross is hurting in other ways also.

"Volunteers are at a premium now," Zabko said. "Donations are down … We need a transfusion of blood, time and money."

Zabko speculates that the economic downturn has squeezed the volunteer supply because people feel like they need to be making money for their work.

"We've got spots open in many, many different opportunities," he said, adding that that included the chapter's board.

The downturn also explains the sluggish donations to the group, he said. "For the first time in the history of the chapter, we're digging into our reserve funds," Zabko said.

So, Zabko is asking for the community's help. He's asking for blood donors to step up and for people to consider donating their time or money to the chapter.

Members of the community are asked to call 800-GIVELIFE to schedule a blood donation appointment. Information about regional blood donor centers or community blood drive locations and times can be found at www.myredcross.org. Business and community groups that are willing to hold blood drives are asked to call 800-787-9282, ext. 4680, for information.

Documentary to look at desegregation of Great Mills High

St. Mary's College of Maryland professor Merideth Taylor has produced a documentary film on the desegregation of Great Mills High School that will premiere in the high school's auditorium tomorrow, June 18, at 7 p.m. "Ending a Century of Segregation: One High School's Story," will run about one hour and is designed to give voice to those who experienced the desegregation process at Great Mills High School between 1958 and 1972. "We found that many students at Great Mills are unaware that their schools were ever segregated," said Taylor in a statement. "And it may surprise even older folks to learn or remember how segregated the county once was."

The screening of the film will be followed by a panel discussion and refreshments. Panel members include Joan Groves, who was one of the first two black students to enroll at Great Mills after her parents sued the school system in 1958 to force integration. The panel will include former teachers and students, both white and black, who were at Great Mills during these years.

The documentary is based on 18 oral histories drawn from more than 30 interviews with former teachers, administrators and students collected by Taylor with the assistance of students and teachers at Great Mills. To mark the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling, in the spring of 2004 Great Mills students who had helped with these interviews presented an original theatrical work based on the oral histories. The documentary grew out of Taylor's sabbatical project in 2003-2004 involving Great Mills students and teachers.

A grant from the PNC Foundation Legacy Project and the Maryland Humanities Council made the documentary possible. Additional support for the project came from St. Mary's College in partnership with St. Mary's public schools and the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions.

Bay lab to host kayak and canoe races

The Chesapeake Bay Field Lab will hold kayak and canoe races June 28 from noon to 4 p.m. to support environmental education programming on St. George Island. Attendance is free. Food and beverage purchases will be available.

A $25 race participation fee will cover a variety of races including a cash race. All races will be held in Island Creek in the heart of St. George Island, to begin at the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab at the end of Piney Point Road (Route 249).

In addition to the races and on-site kid-friendly activities, the recently refurbished yawl boat of the skipjack the Dee of St. Mary's will also be dedicated. To register for or to become a sponsor of the kayak/canoe races, contact the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab at 301-994-2245 or by e-mail at skipjack@skipjacktours.com.

The Chesapeake Bay Field Lab is a nonprofit which operates the skipjack the Dee of St. Mary's and other environmental and natural history programs from St. George Island in St. Mary's County.

Beaton and Baumann take top honors at soap box derby

Elizabeth Beaton, 10, of La Plata was named the stock champion, and Matthew Baumann, 12, of Callaway, was named the superstock champion at the annual Soap Box Derby held June 6 on Patuxent Boulevard. The event was hosted by the Third District Optimist Club.

Both Beaton and Baumann will travel to Akron, Ohio, for a week of events leading up world championship finals July 25. Beaton and Baumann will be representing Southern Maryland and be competing against champions from 41 states and seven other countries.

Hollywood United Methodist to host vacation Bible school

Hollywood United Methodist Church will host vacation Bible school at the church on Mervell Dean Road from June 22 through 26 from 6 to 8:40 pm. Call 301-373-2500.

scraton@somdnews.com