Saratogans lined up to give much-needed blood at a recent Red Cross blood drive at Saratoga Federated Church.

“People have been willing to help, and they have been very patient with all the guidelines we must follow,” said nurse Janet Fee, who was helping donors abide by pandemic safety protocols.

“This has been such a tough year, I am here to help in any way I possibly can,” blood donor Shelly Murray said. “This makes me feel that I am contributing in a positive way.”

For donation information, visit www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive.

The pandemic caused Memorial Day celebrations to be cancelled last year and is limiting them this year. To make sure the holiday and its meaning are honored, the Saratoga Foothill Club has stepped up for a virtual event.

“Since 1928 the Saratoga Foothill Club has hosted Saratoga’s Memorial Day Observance,” Memorial Day Chair Terrie Creamer says. “This year it will be a virtual event, live on the Saratoga Foothill Club Facebook page Monday, May 31, at 10 a.m. Join us as we pay our respects to those who gave their lives for our country and to our veterans and to current members of the U.S. Armed Services.”

The virtual celebration is sponsored by the City of Saratoga. https://www.facebook.com/SaratogaFoothillClub

Thanks to Saratoga Rotarians who made hiking at Quarry Park nicer by clearing invasive plants from the trails and also picked oranges to send to Second Harvest Food Bank. Club president Sesh Ramaswami invites those interested in membership to visit www.saratogarotary.org.

A new exhibition at Hakone Estate and Gardens tells the story of Hakone’s longtime gardener, James Sasaki, and his family at the Topaz, Utah internment camp during WWII.

“Hakone Gardens and Executive Order 9066” also features Hakone trustee Reiko Iwanaga’s experience as a child interned with her family at Amache, Colorado, and Patti Workman recounts how her mother was incarcerated at Amache and her father at Manzanar.

The exhibit features family memorabilia and rare family photos of the internment camps. It’s produced by Hakone Foundation Chair Ann Waltonsmith and trustee Connie Young Yu, who are co-authors of the new book, “Hakone Estate and Gardens.” The exhibit runs through December. The book can be purchased at the Hakone gift shop and online. www.Hakone.com.

Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian will host a live telephone town hall on May 19 with Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, Professor of Global Health and Infectious Diseases at Stanford Medical School, who will discuss the current state of the coronavirus. The town hall, set for 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., is free; register at tinyurl.com/covid19tth.

Thanks to Montalvo Arts Center for gifting our city with a sculptural piece created by Lucas Artists Fellow Steven Simon. The artwork has found a home at the Saratoga Library and is made up of five steel sculptures, each a functional bench in the shape of a letter spelling out “Place,” the title of the piece.

“This helps establish a place for public art in our community by inspiring commitment to develop a city public art program,” Saratoga Mayor Yan Zhao said.

If you have business or social news about Saratoga, please let me know: debby@debbyrice.com.