Drive draws blood donors

Red Cross nurses collect 81 pints at the six-hour effort organized by high school action group.Trent Sladics had never given blood before, but the Newport Harbor High School senior had a personal reason to do so Wednesday.

“My grandpa almost died, and he got saved by blood,” Trent, 17, explained as he sat inside St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church with a red band around his elbow.

Not everyone who stopped by the church had had a blood transfusion in the family, but they had an important cause regardless. The six-hour blood drive, held by Newport Harbor’s Student Political Action Committee, was intended to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Every year, the Student Political Action Committee organizes three blood drives for the American Red Cross. The club had a drive on its October schedule even before the hurricane hit, but the disaster proved an easy motivator for students to sign up. By the end of the day, the Red Cross nurses who packed a small area of the church had extracted 81 pints of blood -- one of the highest numbers the Action Committee had ever gathered.

“The hurricane, I think, drew a lot of people in,” said co-organizer Danielle Mayer, 17. Also, she noted, “Everyone likes to donate because they can get out of class. They get to eat food and watch movies.”

During the last few weeks, members of the student group visited classrooms with sign-up sheets, explaining that the drive was particularly urgent because of the hurricanes. By the time Danielle and co-organizer Harrison Brown set their tables up Wednesday at dawn, 153 students had signed up -- although only some actually showed up.

As the school day passed across the street at Newport Harbor High, students used their break and even class time to walk over to the church to donate. Those who finished got to enjoy cookies and juice and watch a “Seinfeld” DVD on a portable television -- an idea from Harrison, 17, who said, “Comedy is a good calmer-downer.”

The large turnout Wednesday was unusual for an October blood drive. Advisor Phil D’Agostino said the student group usually signs up the most students in February and May, since by that time more students have turned 17 and are eligible to donate blood.

Jordan Schunk, 17, another senior who gave blood for the first time, said the spirit of charity had gotten around school.

“We got sign-up sheets in economics class, and everyone was doing it,” he said.

The blood drive was the first of several major events that the Action Committee -- which started six years ago with eight members and now has 93 -- has on the docket for the fall. Before the homecoming football game this month, the student group will host a 75th anniversary celebration for Newport Harbor, inviting more than 11,000 alumni to a dinner by the stadium. In November, the club will hold its annual fundraising auction.

“I think there’s a perception out there that high school students are more involved with their iPods and their MTV, but when there’s a cause out there, they can become highly politically active,” D’Agostino said.20051013io9z4yknDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Newport Harbor senior Jodi Rorden has a good attitude after donating blood with the help of Red Cross nurse Marina Zavala.