Getting into the spirit of giving

Angelique Flores

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- High school teens are already getting into the

holiday spirit of giving.

The Orange County Red Cross Club at Fountain Valley High School is

gearing up for a number of community service projects that include

donating food and toys for the needy.

With 80 active members, the group does more than just Red Cross

activities. As part of its latest project, the club is collecting new,

unwrapped toys until Dec. 15 for the annual Red Cross Holiday Project,

which gathers more than 3,000 toys for needy children in the county every

year.

The Fountain Valley group will join other youth from Red Cross clubs

around the county at the Santa Ana Zoo on Dec. 16 to distribute the toys

and spend the day with the children.

“We provide them a whole day of fun, face painting and games,” said

Ann Nguyen, co-president of the club.

Last week, they went to the Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter in Costa

Mesa to host a birthday party for the kids and help clean the shelter’s

storage area.

Of course, the club is also busy with blood drives. The teens

collected 90 units during last month’s blood drive at school. It was

record number of units for drives at the school.

“It’s a great way to help people,” Nguyen said.

The club will step up its twice annual drives to three times this year

because of the blood shortage.

“They’re a lot more active than other youth groups in the county,”

said Nanelle Petrocik, a Youth HIV/AIDS Volunteer Educators specialist

who has worked closely with the group for the last two years.

Most of the members are HIV peer educators and are active in making

themselves and their peers aware of HIV, cancer and other health issues.

The American Red Cross has already honored the club with the 2000

Golden Circle Award.

“They’re always reliable,” Petrocik said. “If they say that Fountain

Valley is going to be involved, we know that they’ll draw the most

participants.”