Blood Drive

Organizers of an all-day blood drive at Bob Hope Airport on Wednesday hope to collect 100 pints from donors in honor of the city's yearlong centennial celebration. The annual blood drive is organized each year in conjunction with some of the biggest companies in the vicinity of the airport, including the Burbank Airport Marriott, Yahoo! and media studios to benefit Providence hospitals in Burbank and other San Fernando Valley locations. Donors will be entered to win round trip airfare from JetBlue, hotel stays through Marriott and other prizes.

Hundreds of people attended a blood drive on Sunday for Matthew Fernandez, a 5-year-old leukemia patient and preschooler at Saint Finbar's Catholic Church. Michelle Ramos of Burbank - whose son attends school with Matthew - helped his mother Ana Fernandez enlist people to donate blood for Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, where he is a patient. The event was widely publicized on local media, and on Sunday, Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo of 101.9 La Nueva FM showed up. But with a sore throat and fever, Piolín was unable to give blood.

Amber Willard TROPICO -- In exchange for their parents' blood, American Red Cross volunteers will scare children today. The group's Glendale chapter Youth Group is sponsoring a Haunted Blood Drive today in which adults can donate blood and their children can go through a free haunted house set up at the chapter office. The blood drive is from noon to 6 p.m. and the haunted house will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. at 1601 S. Brand Blvd. The haunted house will include rooms of ghosts and goblins.

The grill was hot and the sodas were plenty. What looked like a scene from a beachside barbecue was actually a blood drive -- lifeguard style. Newport Beach Lifeguards sponsored a blood drive Friday, drawing in residents and tourists who donated 45-minutes of their time to give blood, some of which may go to the New Orleans area to help Hurricane Katrina survivors. The blood drive, held at the lifeguard headquarters at the base of the Newport Pier, lasted hours.

Student council holds blood drive The Pasadena Christian School Junior High Student Council and the American Red Cross will hold a blood drive to supply much needed blood for the L.A. area on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 27. The blood drive will be held in the school library. Anyone who wants to donate blood is invited to participate. All participants will receive a $10 gift certificate to Mimi’s Cafe. The school is at 1515 N. Los Robles Ave. in Pasadena.

Amber Willard LA CRESCENTA -- Blood donors will get a special treat Saturday when the Desi Geestman Foundation shows off its new office and Desi's Hope Chest Boutique. The blood drive, which will benefit the City of Hope hospital in Duarte, starts at 8 a.m. at St. James the Less Catholic Church. The open house starts at 10 a.m. at the foundation office, just around the corner from the church. In the boutique, fare from local artists -- like crafts -- are sold and a percentage goes to the foundation.

The Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is holding a blood drive Thursday at its headquarters. Donors must be healthy, at least 17, have not donated blood in the past 56 days or double red cells in the past 112 days. Donors must also weigh at least 110 pounds. All blood types are needed. Appointments are not needed but can be scheduled by donors who wish to do so. The drive is from 1 to 8 p.m. The chapter's headquarters is at 1501 S. Brand Blvd.

Glendale Unified School District Board Member Joylene Wagner lay on a cot gripping a red ball in her hand as a phlebotomist dripped iodine on her arm in preparation to draw blood. On Sunday, Wagner donated blood during the Armenian National Committee's annual blood drive at St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church. The committee organized the event with the American Red Cross in conjunction with the city's week of remembrance. "I give blood periodically," Wagner said. "It's the Armenian National Committee's efforts for the whole community."

SOUTH GLENDALE — The city’s week of Armenian Genocide-related commemorative events kicked off Sunday with a blood drive in honor of those who died during past atrocities, organizers said. The Armenian National Committee’s fifth annual blood drive was expected to draw more than 80 donors for collections facilitated by the American Red Cross, said Elen Asatryan, executive director of the committee’s Glendale chapter. Blood collected through the event, held the Krikor & Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center, was expected to be used for medical procedures at local hospitals, Asatryan said.

GLENDALE ? More than half the Daily High School students who were eligible donated blood Wednesday during a Red Cross collection at the school. More than 100 students and some employees from the neighboring Glendale Unified School District administration building gave blood at the event, sponsored by the Associated Student Body. "We did it last year and it was so well received the students asked to do it again this year," said Principal Sherry Stockhamer. The Daily students hosted one blood drive in February but decided to do another before Memorial Day, when Southern California hospitals usually need an infusion of new blood, said Red Cross spokeswoman Geri Hernandez.

There is no denying that hearts of all kinds take the lead in February, so families of Verdugo Woodlands Elementary will surely want to take part in the third annual Red Cross Blood Drive on Feb. 12 at the Dads Club, 1728 Cañada Blvd. Janet Lazier, blood drive chairwoman, asks parents to check the school's online Thursday folder to download appointment cards. “Just fill out the appointment cards and turn them in to your child's teacher,” she says. Potential donors may choose between three shifts.

A number of public events commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks are planned for Burbank on Sunday. City officials will host a ceremony titled “Burbank Remembers,” which begins at 8 a.m. on the front steps of City Hall, 275 E. Olive Ave. There will be a tolling of bells, a moment of silence, a rendition of “Amazing Grace” and remarks by Mayor Jess Talamantes and others. Also in Burbank, Unity Burbank Center for Spiritual Awareness commemorates 9/11 with an interfaith service featuring speaker Soraya Deen at 11 a.m. at Unity Burbank, 637 S. Victory Blvd.

This is beginning to sound a bit like a broken record, I realize, but today's paper marks yet another round of changes. In concert with the changes with the Life & Leisure section, the addition of Marquee, we've decided to make a few design changes. We've changed the look and feel of the skybox (the text above our front-page logo), making it easier to read. We've changed the headline font, giving news stories a traditional serif font, while more feature-type stories receive a san-serif treatment.

Hundreds of people attended a blood drive on Sunday for Matthew Fernandez, a 5-year-old leukemia patient and preschooler at Saint Finbar's Catholic Church. Michelle Ramos of Burbank - whose son attends school with Matthew - helped his mother Ana Fernandez enlist people to donate blood for Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, where he is a patient. The event was widely publicized on local media, and on Sunday, Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo of 101.9 La Nueva FM showed up. But with a sore throat and fever, Piolín was unable to give blood.

Organizers of an all-day blood drive at Bob Hope Airport on Wednesday hope to collect 100 pints from donors in honor of the city's yearlong centennial celebration. The annual blood drive is organized each year in conjunction with some of the biggest companies in the vicinity of the airport, including the Burbank Airport Marriott, Yahoo! and media studios to benefit Providence hospitals in Burbank and other San Fernando Valley locations. Donors will be entered to win round trip airfare from JetBlue, hotel stays through Marriott and other prizes.

National Charity League of Glendale presents their annual From the Heart Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the fourth floor Council Room at Verdugo Hills Hospital, 1812 Verdugo Blvd., Glendale. If you are unable to donate blood, consider providing a painless cheek swab in order to be added to the bone marrow registry. (818) 790-7100. Neo Ensemble Theatre hosts a fundraiser from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at Montrose Bowl, 2334 Honolulu Ave., Montrose. There will be a bowling tournament, opportunity drawings, a surprise celebrity host, prizes for winners and awards for bowling shirt fashion show winners.

SOUTH GLENDALE — The city’s week of Armenian Genocide-related commemorative events kicked off Sunday with a blood drive in honor of those who died during past atrocities, organizers said. The Armenian National Committee’s fifth annual blood drive was expected to draw more than 80 donors for collections facilitated by the American Red Cross, said Elen Asatryan, executive director of the committee’s Glendale chapter. Blood collected through the event, held the Krikor & Mariam Karamanoukian Glendale Youth Center, was expected to be used for medical procedures at local hospitals, Asatryan said.

Surrounded by friends and family, little Merceda Hedge celebrated her first birthday Wednesday with three cakes and lots of cupcakes. It was a typical birthday party with hats, candles and balloons save one variant — a blood drive going on in the next room. The drive was sponsored by the MOMS Club of the Foothills, based in La Crescenta, in honor of Merceda’s mom, Leslie. It was just a little more than a year ago that Leslie Hedge was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a rare cancer of the blood in which bone marrow makes too many B-cells, a type of white blood cell that fights infection.

Four-week class to begin Nov. 10 La Crescenta Center for Spiritual Living presents Practitioner Karen Morse from 7 to 9:15 p.m. Nov. 10, 17 and 24 at the Center. She will address how to successfully eradicate the fear and panic which seems to be abounding in these times of economic downturn. Pre-registration is $100, and $120 at the door, which does not include the textbook (“Spiritual Economics” by Eric Butterworth). Check in begins at 6:45 p.m. Books may be purchased the first evening or before the class in the church bookstore.

Democratic Club changes name The La Cañada Flintridge Democratic Club has voted to change its name to Cañada Crescenta Democratic Club. The Club has 25% of its members from La Crescenta. The Club will expand the area in which it conducts Get Out The Vote activities to include both La Cañada and La Crescenta. For information, call the Club at (818) 503-3325 or e-mail lcfdemocrat@pacbell.net.   Blood drive being held Saturday A blood drive is being held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, Sept.