The price of a cup of coffee can be a real pain for someone who’s about to donate blood, Solvang local Kim Jensen explained.
“Drink a lot of fluids before you come, but don’t be drinking coffee. It’s hard to find a vein when you drink too much coffee,” said Jensen, referring to caffeine’s tendency to constrict blood vessels.
Jensen recently stepped into the role of chief with nonprofit Vikings of Solvang, which hosts a community blood drive twice a year. One of his goals as the group’s new leader is to expand participation in the biannual event.
“It’s something you can give that will save somebody. One pint can save three lives,” said Jensen, who’d been a Viking member for 12 years before taking the helm. “It’s that valuable.”
When he stepped into the role in February, Jensen set out to increase attendance at the next Vikings blood drive in March by tasking the club’s 200-plus members with encouraging at least three people each to donate.
Local lifeblood
Find out more about the Vikings of Solvang and the local nonprofit’s upcoming community blood drive at vikingsofsolvang.org. The blood drive will take place on March 19, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall, located at 1745 Mission Drive.
Jensen told the Sun he’s been a frequent blood donor through different organizations since his college days.
“When I went to Long Beach State, I did it all the time,” he said. “That was just something that I thought was important. You can’t make blood. There’s nothing that can even replace blood. There’s nothing that can be manufactured to do so.”
As a reward for donating one pint of blood at the upcoming Vikings of Solvang drive, participants will receive a $25 voucher that can be redeemed at a handful of local restaurants and businesses, including Jensen’s chocolate shop at 1679 Copenhagen Drive.
“It’s a way of saying thank you,” the proprietor of Ingeborg’s Danish Chocolates said.
Other spots include Paula’s Pancake House, Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery, Chomp, Mortensen’s Bakery, Solvang Brewing Company, the Red Viking Restaurant, The Landsby, and Solvang Restaurant.
Since donors need to stay and rest for a bit after giving blood, Jensen said there will be plenty of complimentary refreshments to pass the time, including selections from his chocolate shop.
‘One pint can save three lives. It’s that valuable.’
—Kim Jensen,
Vikings of Solvang chief
From start to finish, participating in the blood drive takes less than an hour, he said, and that’s including the check-in and blood test before being approved to donate.
“They have to make sure you have enough iron and all the other things, and then you sit there and wait until a chair opens up,” Jensen said. “The whole thing’s about 30 minutes.”
To learn more about the event, visit vikingsofsolvang.com. Blood donation professionals from Vitalant’s Central Coast chapter (serving San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties) will facilitate the drive.
A finger prick at the start of the process will determine a participant’s blood type immediately, Jensen said.
“If you’re type O-negative, you can give it to anybody,” he said, referring to the rare blood type all types can receive in a transfusion.
“They call them the golden boys and golden girls,” Jensen explained. “They can save anybody.”
Highlights
• The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce will host its virtual AI training for small businesses on Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Led by featured speakers and AI experts Norma Davey and Frank Kenny, the 90-minute webinar aims to break down various AI topics in a practical and approachable way for small business owners and teams. Admission is $20 for Santa Maria Valley Chamber members and $35 for other registrants. Visit santamaria.com for more info.
• The Carnegie Corporation of New York recently awarded a $10,000 grant to the Lompoc Public Library, which is among the 1,300-plus Carnegie library systems. “I am honored and thankful to accept this grant, … on behalf of the entire library team,” library director Sarah Bleyl stated. The grant will support community programs, classes, and library materials. The Carnegie Corporation described Lompoc’s library system as an example of a cradle of democracy—a phrase coined by Andrew Carnegie to describe public libraries.
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in February 12 – February 19, 2026.