Joe Grillot, 59, left his home in Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parrish with only the clothes on his back and a few dollars in his pocket. Because of the impending arrival of Hurricane Katrina, Grillot did not plan to attend Dragon*Con although he’s been a member for decades. Her disastrous path pushed him here, flooding his entire apartment. But he’s not worried about himself. He’s worried about all the people still trapped there.

“I’m all right,” Grillot said grimly. “We have a million people made refugees in their own country.”

To help, Grillot urges every able Dragon*Con participant to donate blood by going to the Marriott Concourse near the Art Bidding area Sun 10AM to 6PM or Mon 10AM to 5PM. The sign-up table is located under the wood awning labeled “Cluster 2.”

On Friday, LifeSouth Community Blood Center collected 44 units at Dragon*Con. Saturday yielded 82 units, setting a new record for most collected at a SF convention drive.