American Red Cross blood donation appointments fill up quickly in southern Maine

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 Facebook post, 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 organization said in comments on the 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.

“The need for blood is constant,” the organization said. “We sincerely appreciate everyone’s support and our hearts remain with the Lewiston community and those impacted by this tragedy.”

The American Red Cross is encouraging people interested in donating blood to sign up for an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org.