Blood Drive extended to Sunday!

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

Thanks to the support of the Con Chair, the ConCom, the Naughty Nurses, and newcomers the Children's Hospital Bloodmobile, we'll be doubling the opportunities for those so inclined to donate blood at Arisia 2009. In addition to our regular and enthusiastic crew from MGH on Saturday, we'll have newbies to impress on Sunday. I've been trying to arrange this for years in response to many requests, so I very much hope to hear from those wanting to help make both days a success. Don't delay! I'll be happy to schedule your appointment any day!

Comments

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

How many pints were collected at A'08?

[pale-chartreuse.livejournal.com]

Woot!

Times on Sunday?

[the-narf.livejournal.com]

Do you know yet what the times will be for appointments on Sunday? I'm working on putting an updated Bloodmobile page on the A'09 Web site, and want to make sure I get the information correct before I make it generally visible.

Re: Times on Sunday?

[buxom-bey.livejournal.com]

Ooo, if we pull another calendar together, can that go on the website too? With a link to pre-order?

Re: Times on Sunday?

[the-narf.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I have all the verbiage from the 2008 calendar offer actually included in the 2009 article, but just stored in an "HTML comment" (meaning it's there but won't show on-screen), so it won't be very much work to do so. Just provide me with what you want to say, and any relevant links, and I'll put it up.

60

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

The Naughty Nurses, newbies and veterans, recruited for all 72 available appointments by noon on Saturday, 68 would be donors presented themselves at the bus, and 60 successfully donated. This represents just about the maximum possible for one bus in six hours, the maximum time for a single staff shift.

Glad you're stoked!

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

Wanna help out? Donor or recruiter, all are welcome!

Re: Times on Sunday?

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

That's great news! I had given the link to last year's page to the person I spoke to at Children's to help her understand our set up. She seemed undeterred by my admittedly loving description of Arisia and the Naughty Nurses, so this may work well from the start.

Tentatively we're planning for the same time frame for both days, 10a-4p. Less confusing, I hope.

I'd be happy to help with the web page. Thanks for getting started on it.

Re: Times on Sunday?

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

Bravo!

Re: Glad you're stoked!

[pale-chartreuse.livejournal.com]

Most likely both, although my version of a naughty nurse would be more of a Katherine Bates version.

Re: Times on Sunday?

[the-narf.livejournal.com]

You can see what's there now by going to the a'09 page and click on the "About Arisia 2009" menu item. Until we have a proper "Events" menu (which will require input from others, like the Events head), I've got your Bloodmobile page there, complete with picture of RAH. This link (http://2009.arisia.org/blooddrive/) should also take you there.


BTW: This started me on a 4-hour walk through the Heinlein Society's web pages, reading lots of essays about his work. I'm definitely one of "Heinlein's Children" but hadn't realized it.

Re: Times on Sunday?

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

The update looks great, thanks! If mention of the drive and encouragement to make appointments in advance could go out with the mailings, our advance publicity pieces will be complete. The rest is up to the regular donors, the Naughty Nurses, the Heinlein Society recruiters, and the good words and encouragement of Arisians, staff and fen, who mention the drive positively in conversation and enthusiastically support any who show interest.

This includes before, during, and after donation. Recruiting and holding the other hand, especially for a first timer, are a great help, but treating donors well afterward is often overlooked. If you encounter donors, thank them, offer to sit and talk for a bit (donors have just lost a lot of red cells, so sitting down is a good idea!). Offer to get them a glass of water, or fruit juice, or a protein filled snack. The con suite allows you to do this without personal expense, should that be a burden.

Perhaps some of the above belogs on the web page. Your thoughts? Also, I suggest a slight edit: Replace, "that means the last appointment will start at 4pm" with, "that means the last donors will need to start by 4pm". Thanks!

Glad to hear you identify as one of "Heinlein's Children", too. We owe more than even most fen realize. Let's pay it forward!

Re: Glad you're stoked!

[first-clark.livejournal.com]

We already have one who trends toward the M*A*S*H nurse-in-uniform model. You're welcome, too! Um, would you really want to carry around a sledge hammer?