Geordie Prodis, a City Lights Theater Company board member and Rose Garden native, will be running down donations as he runs the American River 50 ultra-marathon on April 3.

Prodis is asking for pledges of $1 or $2 a mile, and he is very close to reaching his goal in pledges. "My goal is $5,000, and I'm really jazzed about the response," he said. "The theater company needs the money, so I'm doing this for the company."

"It's helping out a fantastic theater company. It really sets up people to go further in their acting careers," Protis added. "It gives them a sense of theater before they go on to equity. But it's expensive to put on. Even if we sold out every single show, we'd still need fundraisers and auctions to make it happen."

The ultra-marathon, which runs from Sacramento State University to the town of Auburn, is 50 miles long, and Prodis expects to finish the race in 11 to 12 hours. He has run the American River 50 four times and has done more than a dozen regular 26-mile marathons, including the Big Sur and Death Valley marathons.

For information about making a pledge, call Prodis at 408.202.7696. All donations will be made directly to the City Lights Theater Company.

Bellarmine students
hosting blood drive

Students at Bellarmine College Preparatory are sponsoring their annual blood drive on April 1 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A goal of 100 pints is set, and the public is welcome to donate along with members of the Bellarmine community. No appointment is necessary, and adults dropping in will be given priority.

The blood drive, sponsored by the Associated Student Body in conjunction with the Red Cross Club and Stanford Blood Center, will be in Liccardo Center, on campus at 850 Elm St., San Jose. For additional information, call 408.294.9224, ext. 295.

O'Connor Hospital is
on recruitment drive

O'Connor Hospital has launched a 100-day employee recruiting campaign titled "Special People, Special Place" to fill all open positions at the nonprofit hospital founded in 1889.

In addition to internal and external promotions, the hospital is staging three career fairs aimed at health-care professionals from 1 to 4:30 p.m. on April 1, May 1 and June 1 in the medical office building adjacent to the hospital, 2105 Forest Ave., San Jose.

High on the hospital's wish list are nurses in ICU, medical/surgery, labor and delivery, the Family Center, and the critical care unit and for night shifts. It is also seeking physical therapists, radiology technicians, clinical lab scientists and radiation therapists.

For additional information, visit www.oconnorhospital.org or call the new job hotline at 408.947.2878.

Lecture: Beauty is
in the Egyptian eye

Why did the Egyptians always wear so much makeup? At the Beauty in Egypt lecture, Egyptian archaeologist and renowned Egyptologist Dr. Salima Ikram will explain how the application of cosmetics and the dressing of hair were considered to be acts of worship and celebration, as well as physical adornment.

The lecture, which will be held on April 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. , costs $10 per person for Friends of the Museum and $10 each for their first guest; $20 per lecture for nonmembers; and $5 for students.

Ikram, the director of the Animal Mummy Project at the Egyptian Museum, is a professor and field archaeologist with the American University in Cairo, and is the co-author of The Mummy in Ancient Egypt.

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Planetarium houses the largest collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities on exhibit in the western United States. It is located at 1342 Naglee Ave. in San Jose and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; last admission is one half-hour before closing. Entrance fees for the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum are $9 general, $7 for seniors and students with I.D., and $5 for children ages 5­10. Children younger than 5 can visit the museum free of charge. For more information, visit www.egyptianmuseum.org or call 408.947.3665.

Easter Bunny set to
pose for photographs

The Easter Bunny is taking time out from egg-decorating duties to pose for photos with children at Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair.

Beginning March 26 and continuing through April 10, the Easter Bunny will available for visits from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. He will be on level 1 of the mall, near the Adrienne Vittadini store. Photo packages and single photos are priced from $10.99 to $29.99.

A false alarm forces
evacuation of building

Attorneys, accountants and other occupants of 1871 The Alameda found themselves evacuated on St. Patrick's Day afternoon.

The 4:30 p.m. alarm turned out to be false, but several San Jose fire engines, including one with a hook and ladder, responded to the alarm because the building is four stories high. Firefighters searched each floor and the roof and reset the alarm system. Occupants were allowed back in shortly after 5 p.m.