Kids gobble up first-aid lesson

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- Bandages flew like streamers through the air as students

learned what to do in case of an emergency.

Students of two fourth-grade classes from Mariners Elementary School

kicked off the beginning of Red Cross month Wednesday by learning about

first aid and slurping bowls of seafood chowder.

“I learned how to save peoples’ lives and to bandage people,” said

11-year-old Dillon Giedt.

Bandage-clad children were the first to gobble up the Newport Dunes’

famous seafood chowder this month, but Red Cross officials hope they

won’t be the last. This month, the proceeds from the sale of chowder at

the resort’s restaurant, the Back Bay Cafe, will go to the Orange County

chapter of the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross is an humanitarian organization run by volunteers. The

group provides relief for victims of disasters and helps people to

prepare for and respond to emergencies.

“We wanted to either raise money or awareness and this gives us an

opportunity to do both,” said Frank Groff, spokesman for the Dunes. “It’s

really up to the private sector to step out.”

Said Michele Butterworth, activities director at the Dunes: “I’d say

we’ll raise at least a couple thousand because we get a lot of people

from the community and from the RV resort that come down and eat at the

Back Bay,” she said.

The children, however, were more interested in wrapping each other and

telling gruesome medical emergency stories.

“Last summer I jumped on a stick and got stitches and it was disgusting,”

said Lauren Call.

Lauren added that she now knows how to better handle a similar situation.

“It’s nice because it teaches us how to save people from choking or

bleeding or how to get out of a fire,” said 11-year-old Sergio Rodriquez.

Besides providing valuable lifesaving lessons, the program was designed

to promote public awareness.

“We try to find ways to highlight what we do in the community,” said Judy

Iannaccone, public affairs director for the Orange County Red Cross.

“Everyone knows we collect blood, but they may not know that we teach

kids first aid and do many other things.”