In Los Gatos, history and community often intertwine. This March, that connection takes on a life-saving dimension. On March 21, the Rotary Club of Los Gatos is partnering with the Stanford Blood Center to host a community blood drive at St. Luke’s Church downtown. From 8:30am until 1pm, residents can donate a single pint of blood that can save up to three lives.
To understand the weight of this gift, one need only look back at the brilliant, yet fragile, life of the author Robert Louis Stevenson.
A life defying the depths
Stevenson, the master storyteller behind Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, lived a life that was a constant tug-of-war between a soaring imagination and a failing body. He suffered from a chronic, rare condition, often attributed to a form of tuberculosis or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, that caused him to suffer frequent and violent pulmonary hemorrhages.
He lived much of his life in a state of acute anemia, losing large amounts of blood that left him bedridden for weeks. Yet Stevenson possessed an inextinguishable thirst for adventure. Despite his physical frailty, he sought the restorative air of Davos, the bohemian streets of Paris, and the wilds of California. Eventually, he settled in Samoa, where he was known as Tusitala (“Teller of Tales”).
Stevenson died at the young age of 44. It is a lingering “what if” of literary history: Imagine the volumes he might have written and the adventures he might have endured, had he lived in an era of modern transfusion medicine. In his day, the loss of blood was a depletion of the soul. Today, that depletion is avoidable. We have the facilities, the technology, and the community spirit to ensure that no “Tusitala” has their story cut short by a lack of blood.
Guerilla marketing: A Stevenson-inspired quest
To honor Stevenson’s spirit of adventure and his desperate need for the resource we are gathering, I am embarking on a unique marketing campaign to ensure every appointment slot at St. Luke’s is filled. If Stevenson could travel the world with failing lungs and thinning blood, the least I can do is bring a bit of his theatrical flair to the streets of Los Gatos.
Here is how I plan to channel The Great Adventurer to get our community to sign up:
- The Sandwich Board Wanderer: Taking a cue from the pedestrian travels of Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey, I will walk the sidewalks of downtown Los Gatos wearing a sandwich board. Look for me near the Town Plaza, where I’ll be handing out information and sharing the startling fact that one pint saves three lives.
- The Lighthouse Beacon: Stevenson’s father, Thomas, was the foremost lighthouse engineer of his era. To honor this lineage, I will be setting up a miniature lighthouse in high-traffic areas. Next to this beacon, I’ll post a sign advertising the blood drive. Just as a lighthouse guides sailors away from the rocks, this blood drive serves as a beacon of hope for patients in local hospitals.
- The Vasona Voyage: Stevenson was a lover of the water. In his honor, I’ll be taking to the waters of Vasona Lake in a canoe. Equipped with a megaphone, I’ll be broadcasting the details of the March 21 drive to those on the shore. It might be unconventional, but saving lives requires making a bit of a splash.
Why your participation matters
The Stanford Blood Center relies on local drives to maintain a stable supply for trauma victims, surgery patients, and those battling chronic illnesses. To show our appreciation for your time and your “liquid gold,” each donor will receive a $20 gift card, redeemable at a variety of popular locations.
The process is quick, the impact is eternal, and the setting at St. Luke’s is convenient.
Robert Louis Stevenson once wrote, “To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.” By donating on March 21st, you are giving someone else the time they need to become what they can become. You are providing the “extra chapters” that Stevenson was never granted.
Details: Saturday, March 21, 8:30am-1pm, St. Luke’s Church, Los Gatos, donors get a $20 gift card. sbcdonor.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/16034
