Quattro’s 90-Day Challenge, Day 89, 11/28/09
They Bleed for Me
Today was the Loscon blood drive. Kris and I met the American Red Cross truck at 9:00 am. The driver set up the tables beds and Alyx machines (machines that take out two pints worth of red blood cells, an give you back your plasma) and we set up the cantina and made fish balloons.
Fish balloons have become a tradition at the Loscon Blood drives, but in keeping with the theme, I had to Billy Mays them. So I gave them black eye brows, moustache and beard. Buy the time we opened at 11:00 am, we had thirteen people waiting in line. The blood drives, themselves, have become a tradition at Loscon, and we have many regular donors. So for me, it was non-stop balloon making until the end of the drive at 5:00. Even then, some of the nurses wanted fish balloons, so I made some more.
During half-time at the masquerade, we held the raffle for three prizes: a $25.00 gift card, a $50.00 gift card and a membership to next year’s Loscon. And here was a Loscon first; non of the winners were in the room! They can pick up their prizes late at Con Ops.
This was a real fun day for me. I got to be Billy Mays all day. At first, you might not think I’m in costume, but when I start talking real loud and using exaggerated hand gestures, everybody gets it. I also got to do something important to me for the community. I collected blood for the American Red Cross right at the time of year they need it most.
Next year the theme of the convention is Steam Punk, Urban Fantasy and Clock Punk. We’ll have to come up with a theme for the blood drive to match.
De-Mays-a-fying,
Dennis Cherry
