HIGH LIFE : Organizers of Blood Drives Get Honors

Students from 40 county high schools were recently honored by the American Red Cross Orange County chapter for organizing more than 100 blood drives over the past year that resulted in the donation of more than 6,130 units of blood, or 6% of the county’s blood supply.

Individual schools, students and advisers received awards for their participation in a variety of categories. Kathy Kemnitz of Pacifica High School was named the most valuable student contact, and Keith Sims of El Toro High the most valuable adviser.

Huntington Beach High was noted for the greatest number of units donated (230), followed by Foothill (211) and Dana Hills (208). Whittier Christian was named the most improved school with an increase of 133 units over last year, followed by Los Amigos and Foothill.

Two schools were honored with perpetual trophies for greatest participation per capita. La Vista High in Fullerton received the award for the third consecutive year for a school with an enrollment of up to 450 (52% participation), followed by Whittier Christian (38.6%) and Servite (32.9%). Foothill received the same award for a school with more than 450 students (28.6%), followed by San Clemente (22.7%) and Loara (21.8%).

To donate blood, students must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health.

Four Orange County students were named winners last week in the Centennial Time Capsule Student Essay Contest.

The winning essays will be included in a time capsule that will be buried in Santa Ana on the grounds of the Old County Courthouse on Aug. 1 with instructions not to open until the year 2089.

The essay contest was sponsored by The Times Orange County Edition and Orange County Centennial Inc. Almost 3,000 essays were submitted from schools throughout the county.

The winners are Stephanie Loy, a senior at Ocean View High School; Christy Westad, a freshman at Laguna Hills High; Jonathan Seymour, a sixth-grader at Mesa View School in Huntington Beach, and Alyssa Atzeff, a second-grader at Arroyo Elementary School in Santa Ana.

Each winner received $100; their schools each received $150.

“Fashions are induced epidemics.”

--George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)