[Sca-cooks] Pennsic Blood Drive

[Stefan li Rous]

> 	After 35 years of donating blood I've been stopped by a Mad Cow.  I 
> lived
> in Europe from 1976 to 1991 and just might have picked up one of those 
> nasty
> prions.  Of course there is absolutely no evidence that they can pass 
> in the
> blood stream, but we must be careful (said with intense sarcasm).  It's
> particularly bad because I have a rare blood type, AB+.
>
> Regina, wishing the Red Cross would depend on science rather than 
> public
> fear
It may be that the Red Cross would like to. Unfortunately, they depend 
upon the public for both money and blood donations. They may reason 
that if word got out that they were accepting blood from folks who 
might have been exposed to the Mad Cow disease that they would lose 
even more donations than those who fall into this category might give 
them.
Stefan
(whose insulin dependant diabetes has kept him from donating for 26 
years. :-( )

I think Phlip's idea of providing some period food for Pennsic blood 
donors might be nice. But Phlip, did you mean a feast at some 
particular time? Or did you mean munchies all during the donation time 
so that the donors could get some of after giving? I assume the latter. 
Particularly in the heat of Pennsic providing something right after 
giving might be good. Don't they often have mundane items for this at 
regular blood drives? I don't know the details. If these refreshments 
are meant for a specific purpose to replenish particular minerals or 
vitamins, perhaps there are some period equivalents which will serve 
the same purpose as well.

Providing them throughout the day(s) might also ease the logistics as 
they could be made in smaller batches than a feast. I've heard 
Sekanjabin called "period Gatorade". Would that be a good item? That is 
rather inexpensive to make in quantity and a quantity of the syrup 
could be kept on hand as well as some jugs of water and made up through 
the day(s) with occasional trips to the Cooper's store to pick up some 
ice. Perhaps the Coopers would be willing to donate the ice.
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****