Cities host blood drives

It’s rare that you find competitors rooting for the other to do well, but that’s exactly what you’ll see when lives are on the line.

With thousands of healthy bodies flooding the Newport Beach sand Wednesday afternoon, lifeguards did their best to find those willing to take a pin prick and needle to donate blood and save a life, or three.

The six-hour blood drive was one of two city lifeguards will be hosting over the next couple of months; department officials hope they had enough donors Wednesday to claim the American Red Cross of Orange County trophy for having most successful blood drive in the summer.

Newport Beach has topped all other lifeguard organizations in Orange and Los Angeles counties the last two years and have the Red Cross trophies to prove it, said Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Jim Turner.

The competition with neighboring departments, like Huntington Beach lifeguards, remains friendly, he said.

“Our agencies would like to get more than we’ve ever donated before and still lose,” Turner said. “This is where you want your competition to do well also.”

Some say with a large beach and so many lifeguards, the playing field may not be completely level. But that’s irrelevant when saving lives is the ultimate goal.

“The whole thing is doing the best we can. We try to help out any way we can,” said Mike Beuerlein, Huntington Beach’s lifeguard operations manager. “The enthusiasm for the competition is one-way. But we share the enthusiasm for the blood drive.”

Red Cross officials said they expect to store more than 120 units of blood in Wednesday’s drive. By the look of the nearly dozen tables occupied by donors Wednesday afternoon, it seems possible.

“I’ve been working in a hospital for 20 years and never given blood. But it’s right here. I finally have to give in. It’s just something I have to do,” said Reggie West, who was spending the day at the beach with his son. “I’ll just turn my head when they stick in the needle.”

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].