By Clara Glendale | Type O-negative

A blood drive was held Wednesday at The Community Center in downtown Bass Lake.

Nobody came.

The good news? Not a single person had to be turned away for failure to meet donation requirements, chief nurse Tara Jarton said.

At the conclusion of the event, Jarton remained optimistic, despite the disappointing turnout.

“I’m a vile-half-full type of person,” she said. “So I consider it a modest success.”

Jarton said scheduled drives will continue as planned.

“You can never have enough extra blood supply,” she said. “Unfortunately, we were unable to add to the collection today.”

Several residents interviewed for this story said they had intended to donate, but circumstances prevented it. One example: Jan Swammerdam, a 34-year-old homemaker and mother of none.

“I had every intention of going,” Swammerdam said. “Then I sliced my wrist when I was chopping veggies, and I had to postpone the trip.”

One Bass Lake man said the frequency of donation initiatives may have had an impact, although he didn’t actually use the word “initiative.”

“It’s a wonderful gesture to give back to the community,” the man said. “But these things happen so often, it’s like they’re bleeding us dry.”

In a related activity, organizers have planned a cookie, juice and sticker giveaway, set for 5-7 p.m. today at the community center. There is no admission charge, but suggested donation is a pint of blood.