Have you ever donated blood to the Red Cross? Well, here’s your chance. The Town of Marana is hosting a blood drive on August 26, 2010.
But if you’ve never donated before, you may have some questions or concerns about the process. First of all, it only takes about 45 to 60 minutes, including about 10 minutes for the actual donation. The rest of the time you will talk with the Red Cross volunteers to make sure you’re eligible, answer some questions about your health (confidentially), and receive a mini-physical.
You may be wondering if your particular physical ailment(s) can bar you from donating blood. According to the Red Cross website, there are several common issues that will not stop you from being a donor: oral contraceptives, routine vaccinations, most medications, asthma, high/low blood pressure, diabetes, sickle cell trait, old age, chlamydia, herpes, HPV – just to name a few. Don’t let having any of these issues deter you from going to the blood drive.
If you have other health concerns, take a look at the Red Cross site to see if you will be automatically declined. Some of the conditions that generally bar you from donating include being pregnant, having HIV/AIDS, having received a recent blood transfusion, being too young, or having active tuberculosis.
Check out RedCrossBlood.org for more information about eligibility, and any other questions you may have about donating blood.
According to the Town of Marana website, “Because the need for blood is constant, the Red Cross requires about 300 donors each day in Arizona.” Most people are perfectly healthy and able to donate. If you’re in that category, what’s stopping you?
If you donate at the blood drive, you’ll get wonderful thank-you gifts: a free T-shirt (necessary attire in Arizona) and a $5 Starbucks gift card. And you might even win a $100 gift card to Walmart (you’ll be entered into a drawing).
Interested in signing up? Contact Marana Public Information Officer Rodney Campbell at rcampbell@marana.com or call 520-382-1936.
I never met Ora Mae Harn, but the way she helped the Marana community should be admired and emulated. Mrs. Harn was the kind of person who identified a problem to be solved, and actually put plans into motion. She is credited with being instrumental in a number of projects that improved the lives of Marana residents.
- Ora Mae Harn was involved with the formation of the Marana Health Center after noticing how difficult it was for Marana residents to receive health care close to home. She served as executive director for many years.
- The Marana Community Food Bank was one of the projects she helped found.
- Her most recent project is the Marana Heritage Conservancy.
- A victim of the 1983 Santa Cruz River flood, Mrs. Harn insisted that a levee be constructed to protect the town.
- Ora Mae Harn was a twice elected mayor of Marana, and is the only female mayor the city has had.
Mrs. Harn was born November 8, 1932 and died July 29, 2010. She was 77 years old.
Instead of flowers, consider donating to the Marana Community Food Bank, the Marana Heritage Conservancy, or any charity of your choice. If you can’t make it to any services, you can write online condolences or share a story about Ora Mae Harn at the Adair Funeral Home website.
Visitations will be held at the municipal complex (11555 W. Civic Center Drive) on August 6, 2010 from 6p.m. to 8p.m., and again on August 7, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Funeral services will be held at Faith Community Church (2551 West Orange Grove Road) on Aug. 7 at 2 p.m.
Have you ever gone camping with your kids? Well here’s your chance. Tomorrow, April 12, 2008, might be the perfect time.
Marana is having Family Night Under the Stars, which sounds like a lot of fun. There’s going to be music, a movie (“The Goonies”), stargazing, bonfires, and more.
The flyer says you need to be registered for overnight camping by last week, but don’t worry, it’s not too late. You can register online by 11:59p.m. on Saturday, April 12.
If you don’t want to spend the night, feel free to take your family to Ora Mae Harn park and enjoy a beautiful, fun-filled evening. The weather will be kind of cool, with a low of 55 degrees, so be prepared.
Have fun! If you go, please let us know how it turns out.
Springtime in Marana and Tucson brings warmer weather, earlier sunrises, and swarms of bees.
The other day I saw a swarm crossing the street (they waited for a green light). It was an amazing sight, but I was glad I was in my car with the windows closed.
Bees usually swarm when the colony splits, and they go in search of a new nesting place. Even though we have to be careful of them, bees are essential to agriculture and nature in general.
So keep your eyes open, and watch for bee activity near your home. For more information about bees, check out this website to get started.
I’m relatively new to Tucson, having lived in Marana for less than 3 years. But the “growth” and “progress” I’ve seen in this short amount of time is amazing!
It makes me wonder how much we’re losing while we’re gaining. Habitat for wildlife is the most obvious loss, but it may not matter much to you if you’re not an animal. If you encounter a pack of javelinas in your backyard, mountain lions next door, or “killer bees” right outside your front door, suddenly the loss of habitat makes a difference in your life too.
Sometimes what’s being lost isn’t nature. At the corner of Silverbell and Ina there’s a historical house that’s scheduled to be demolished to make way for Silverbell Crossroads, a retail property. The house is estimated to have been built in the early 1900′s.
We’re also losing our views of what’s left of the natural world. Condominiums will be built on Silverbell Rd. across from Continental Ranch, possibly blocking mountain vistas for current residents.
At the same time, I’m looking forward to the new library on Silverbell Rd. and Cortaro. I use a lot of gas, which affects the environment (and my pocketbook) driving out to the Nanini branch.
What do you think? When is growth good, a necessary evil, or just plain bad?
If you think you want to enroll your preschool-aged child in a Marana Unified School District preschool this fall, your time is almost up.
The first step is the lottery, and the deadline for the application (which is free) is March 28, 2008. Luckily you can fax the application. The schools that have a preschool are Coyote Trail, Desert Winds, Estes, Twin Peaks, Roadrunner, and Quail Run. Make sure you DO NOT drop off the application at the schools.
Once your child is accepted, you have to go through the enrollment process (which includes an enrollment fee, shot records, etc.).
For more information, and to obtain the lottery application, go to the MUSD website. The link to the application is in the column to the left on that page, along with links to other pertinent information about the preschool program.
Today was the Easter egg hunt at Marana’s Hip Hop Holiday, and overall my daughter and I had a good time. It was hotter than I thought it would be (that Tucson sun is fierce), but there were shady spots here and there.
I was disappointed with the egg hunt, though. The 2 & 3 year old hunt was supposed to start at 10:30, but it started almost 5 minutes earlier. That may not sound like a lot, but I wasn’t the only parent running to get there when there should have been 5 more minutes to spare. It’s hard getting toddlers ready to go anywhere, so being early is great, but sometimes it’s a struggle to be on time. I’m glad I wasn’t on time. We’d have missed it.
So my daughter only got 4 eggs.
On the other hand, the 1-year-old and special needs field had too many eggs. In comparison, the 2-3 year olds were done in a few minutes, while the other field took at least 5 minutes to clear. I would suggest next year that they start on time (or even a few minutes late), and have more eggs for the agile and eager 2&3-year-olds. I’m not sure how the other hunts worked out, but I’m guessing they could have used more eggs too.
I enjoyed the clues and the hunt for the golden egg that was eventually found in a fire pit. It would be great if they had even more extra-hidden eggs for people to find.
Will I be going back next year? You bet! I’m sure it will be even better than this year’s.
Looking for some fun for your kids on Easter?
The Continental Ranch Community Park is having its annual Easter egg hunt, Hip Hop Holiday, this Saturday, March 22, from 10a.m. to 1p.m. Children aged 11 and under will be able to hunt for eggs in certain parts of the field. Each hunt time is for a certain age range, so don’t worry that your 1-year-old will have to compete with 11-year-olds.
The free event also includes jumping castles. And no Easter egg hunt would be complete without the Easter Bunny!
Parking and a shuttle services will be at the new Rattlesnake Elementary School on Coachline.
Check out the flyer for exact hunt times for your children’s age groups. For more information call (520)382-1950. Hip Hop Holiday is a Marana Parks & Recreation event.
Stay tuned to Marana Unwrapped to find out about more events.
Marana’s Founders’ Day 2008 was a great event to take my daughter. She’s now almost 3 and a lot of fun (and work) when it comes to outings, so when it rolled around this past weekend we jumped at it.
There was really almost too much to do for such a little one, so we concentrated on the area designated for kids. Wouldn’t you know it, though? My daughter preferred to play on the jungle gym, which she could have done any day of the week almost anywhere in town.
The highlights were the free pony ride (which my daughter decided not to do after standing in line for 20 minutes) and the tractor ride. We got to sit in one of those HUGE John Deere tractors. It was a blast, even though the tractor was stationary.
Marana really knows how to throw a celebration, so the next time there’s something at Ora Mae Harn park, be sure to check it out.
Perhaps you have the day off today. Or you might be hard at work. Maybe you’re studying for an upcoming exam.
Whatever you’re doing today, take a few minutes to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our country wouldn’t be as great as it is without the hard work, sweat, and literal blood of Dr. King and many more people dedicated to improving the lives of others.
Today I thought about how many advantages I have, thanks to the civil rights movement. I wouldn’t be living where I do, I wouldn’t be as educated as I am, and I wouldn’t be free to live my life the way I am. Today I remember how much I have to be thankful for.
Remember.
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