News Briefs

Canyon Lakers to host blood drive in Lake Elsinore

Though this summer may feel different than summers past, one thing remains constant: The need for blood donations to help save lives. The Red Cross is urging healthy individuals to give blood to restock the shelves for patients battling disease and facing the unexpected.

Canyon Lake residents Chad and Jenn Burleson will be hosting a blood drive at their Lake Elsinore gym, on Sunday (Aug. 2). The drive will be at The Camp Transformation Center, 29885 2nd Street, Suite P, Lake Elsinore from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the country have stepped up to help by giving blood or platelets with the Red Cross. Blood donations from healthy individuals are just as essential now to meet patient needs, and those who gave this spring may be eligible to help again.

Donation appointments can be made for the coming days and weeks by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

As a thank-you for helping ensure a stable blood supply, those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma, including convalescent plasma, Aug. 1-Sept. 3 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Amazon. Plus, come to give by Aug. 31 and automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for four to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm, redeemable through the 2021 season!

To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, individuals who do not feel well or who believe they may be ill with COVID-19 should postpone their donation.

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and additional precautions – including temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings for donors and staff – have been implemented to help protect the health of all those in attendance. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive and are required to wear a face covering or mask while at the drive, in alignment with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public guidance.

Veterans from three wars eligible for high school diplomas

They were away from home serving their country during wars last century while classmates were marching in commencement ceremonies. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard veterans who missed out on their high school graduations due to military service have until October 15 to apply for a diploma through the 2020 Operation Recognition Program. Individuals who were interned in a Japanese-American relocation camp during World War II are also encouraged to apply.

Eligible Canyon Lake residents, as well as all those eligible in Riverside County, are eligible for these high school diplomas. The diplomas are available to those whose high school education was interrupted by military service in World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War. Degrees can also be conferred posthumously.

Raul Garcia, decades after leaving high school to serve in the Vietnam War, receives his cap and gown prior to the ceremony where he received his long-awaited diploma. The county is seeking out veterans for the next recognition in October. Photo provided by Riverside Office of Education

A total of 362 veterans have received a diploma through Operation Recognition since 2007. The diplomas are awarded as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services.

In order to be eligible for a diploma, individuals must currently reside in Riverside County. Completed application forms and supporting documentation must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Application forms, photos and video from last year’s ceremony are available online at www.rcoe.us/operationrecognition. There is no charge to apply for a diploma. Applications can also be requested by telephone. Interested persons may contact Tracey Case at (951) 826-6570 or by email at tcase@rcoe.us. While RCOE is unable to offer an in-person ceremony this year, diplomas will be mailed to qualifying veterans in November.

Education Code Section 51440 authorizes the granting of retroactive high school diplomas to eligible veterans. Section 51430 also authorizes the retroactive granting of diplomas to Japanese-American citizens whose internment by federal order in World War II prevented them from graduating from their hometown high school.

COVID-19 spike leads to plasma shortage

Right now, the American Red Cross has an emergency shortage of convalescent plasma, a potentially lifesaving treatment for patients with COVID-19. The Red Cross has seen demand for convalescent plasma more than double over the last month as the number of coronavirus cases increases across the U.S. Convalescent plasma products are now being distributed faster than donations are coming in.

Individuals who have fully recovered and received a verified COVID-19 diagnosis are urged to sign up to give convalescent plasma now by completing the donor eligibility form at RedCrossBlood.org/plasma4covid.

Convalescent plasma is plasma that is collected from patients who have recovered from an infection and have antibodies that might help fight that infection – in this case, those who have fully recovered from COVID-19. With each donation, COVID-19 survivors have a unique ability to help up to three patients recover from the virus.