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Open arms By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland High School students took a moment to give of themselves - literally. The annual AHS Blood Drive, held in the small gym on campus Friday, amassed 41 pints of blood for the American Red Cross. The drive was organized by AHS seniors Meagan Armstrong and Kristen Brown as part of their senior project, which taught them a lot about organization. Ashland High School junior Anna Gordon-Norby shows a little surprise as Adrian Lane, an American Red Cross mobile unit assistant, inserts the needle at the AHS annual blood drive Friday. Ashland Daily Tidings/AMBER FOSSEN Sitting at a table near the gym's entrance, Armstrong took names, directed traffic and kept tabs on volunteers. "It has to be very organized," Armstrong said. "It's a lot of planning." Before potential donors could be approved, they had to read over a lengthy document outlining a number of factors - such as fevers, travels to some European countries, AIDS, the use of needles for prescription or illegal drugs, age, and weight - that could restrict them from participating. AHS junior Anna Gordon-Norby said she was among the few who could not donate last year. "I tried last time I was here but was rejected so I thought I'd try again," Gordon-Norby said, explaining "I went to a part of Mexico that had malaria." Armstrong and Brown said they decided to make the blood drive their senior project after Leeanne Wallace, an AHS leadership teacher, asked if any students were interested in organizing the event. With that, the pair began fine-tuning their project. Armstrong and Brown put the word out around the AHS campus and even managed to secure food and beverage donations from the Ashland Community Food Store and Alberstons. And while they hoped to raise 50 pints of blood, they feel it was still a good turnout. "I think in years past and even last semester, more people did it," Brown said. "But today is the day before prom." According to Adrian Lane, mobile unit assistant for the American Red Cross, the students' contribution will benefit the local community. "Wherever the blood is drawn from, that blood goes back into that community," Lane said. Before AHS students could make a contribution, they had to run through a series of questions with on-hand nurses. They would then make their donation before volunteers made sure students received snacks and juice to fight off any potential dizzy spells. Senior Diana Biller, a first-time donor, said she was a little nervous about the whole process but still felt compelled to help out. "It seemed like a good thing to do," Biller said, expressing relief when all was said and done. "It doesn't hurt as much as I thought because I was building it up to something akin to murder." Biller was accompanied by her friend, senior Reid Beels - who abstained from donating due to lack of sleep - noting many other friends had already donated or were waiting for their turn. According to Stephanie Anderson, a Red Cross medical assistant, the more donations the blood bank receives, the better. "Last I heard we have about a day and a half supply," Anderson said. "It's not on any of our alert levels but we like to have two or three days on hand. When and if there's a disaster, you never know how much you'll need." LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -