Many Mainers across the state are seeking to donate blood to help victims in the mass shooting at multiple locations in Lewiston on Wednesday night.
The Red Cross Blood Center in Auburn, Maine was closed on Thursday, Oct. 26 due to the incident.
In a statement, the American Red Cross of Northern New England said, “Our hearts go out to the community of Lewiston and all of those affected by Wednesday’s tragic shooting. The American Red Cross has provided 175 blood products to Maine hospitals in response to this tragedy. We stand ready to deliver additional blood products as needed. We stand ready to provide additional blood products as needed.”
“The need for blood is constant. We sincerely appreciate everyone's support and our hearts remain with the Lewiston community and those impacted by this tragedy.”
The organization said in comments on a Facebook post that appointments and drives are filling up quickly “due to an outpouring of support.” They suggested widening the search area for appointments if there is not an available time slot in the coming days, or to look further out on the calendar.
"We are closely monitoring our capacity in response to the outpouring of support from the community," said regional communications director Jennifer Costa in an email. "We are experiencing increased blood donation interest in New England as people look for a way to help. The Red Cross has appointments available to potential donors in the upcoming week. Those interested in donating can visit RedCrossBlood.org and make an appointment. Please know the system operates in real time – and appointment availability is constantly changing."
The American Red Cross is encouraging people interested in donating blood to sign up for an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org.
