Blood drive challenge issued at
Labor Day picnic at Oaks Park
IBEW’s Barnes to kick up his heels
at fundraiser for Fort Vancouver
Look for the cardboard cutout of Ed Barnes, or Ed Barnes himself, at the
Labor Day picnic at Oaks Park. Barnes, 78, a retired business manager of the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48, is soliciting
donations for the “Dancing with the Local Stars” fundraiser for Fort
Vancouver National Trust. The trust
was established in 1998 as a private
non-profit to operate Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site. Barnes has
committed to raise $5,000, with a
challenge to beat dance competitor
Ryan Hart. Hart is district director
for U.S. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler
(R-Wash.). Barnes will perform the
foxtrot to the tune Minnie the
Moocher. The event is Sept. 15 at
Pearson Air Museum, 1115 E. Fifth
Street, Vancouver. If you miss Barnes
at the picnic, donations can be made
online at www.fortvan.org/ dancers,
or mail a check to: General O.O.
Howard House, 750 Anderson St.,
Vancouver, Wash., 98661.
The Northwest Oregon Labor
Council and American Red Cross are
teaming up this Labor Day for a blood
drive competition at the Labor Day pic-
nic at Oaks Park.
Regular attendees of the picnic
know that the Red Cross always brings
a bloodmobile to the picnic for blood
donations. Typically, 30 to 35 pints of
blood are collected, with the record be-
ing 70 pints.
This year, the challenge is to collect
104 pints of blood, which would be a
record for a one-day collection by a
business or organization (excluding
high schools). The record is held by
Ben & Jerry’s, which got 103 units in a
“Pint for Pint” drive where everyone
who donated got a pint of ice cream.
“We are trying to beat our own
record (70) and set the bar high at 100.
If we can beat Ben & Jerry’s 103, we
can really claim bragging rights,” said
Bob Tackett, executive secretary-treas-
urer of the Northwest Oregon Labor
Council.
According to the Red Cross, every
two seconds someone in America
gets a blood transfusion. Five million
patients will need blood this year, but
blood donations are down in the first
seven months of 2012, with an urgent
need for types O negative (the uni-
versal blood type), and B negative.
One pint of blood can save up to
three lives.
Three bloodmobiles will be
parked at this year’s Labor Day pic-
nic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Teresa Ro-
driguez, donor recruitment represen-
tative for the American Red Cross, is
asking that union members pre-reg-
ister so that donations can be col-
lected as quickly as possible. The
blood donation process takes about
an hour.
When registering, union affilia-
tions will be tracked. The union with
the most members donating will re-
ceive a “traveling trophy” to keep in
their union hall until next Labor Day.
Other participation awards will be
presented to individuals and unions.
You can pre-register on line at
www.redcrossblood.org; plug in
sponsor code: NWLP; or call 1-800-
733-2767.
Labor agency will provide limited
free food scrip at Labor Day picnic
Labor’s Community Service
Agency (LCSA) will provide free food
and drink scrip for union families who
are out of work and want to take part in
the Labor Day picnic festivities at
Oaks Park. Scrip will be limited to a
certain amount per family on a first-
come, first served basis.
“We just want everybody to be able
to come out and have a good time,”
said LCSA Executive Director Vickie
Burns.
To make arrangements for scrip, call
Labor’s Community Service Agency at
503-231-4962 and leave a message that
you would like some scrip for the pic-
nic. “We’ll verify their union member-
ship and call members back with in-
structions on where to pick up their
scrip at Oaks Park,” Burns said.
Additionally, Union Plus Mortgage
area coordinator Ted Hillison is spon-
soring a dunk tank at Oaks Park to raise
funds for Labor’s Community Service
Agency. Look for the dunk tank on the
midway.
Volunteer “dunkees” also are
needed.
To volunteer, call Labor’s Commu-
nity Service Agency at 503 231-4962.
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AUGUST 17, 2012
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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