Colby Morse and Peaches Stucker plan to organize another blood drive this spring. Contributed / Stephanie Motter
Two Falmouth High School seniors organized a successful blood drive at the school gym in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston in October.
Peaches Stucker and Colby Morse’s drive last month resulted in a donation of 35 units to the Red Cross, which had provided 175 units of blood to Lewiston hospitals after the shooting amid a national blood supply shortage.
“When the Lewiston shooting happened, it was such a big deal,” Morse told The Forecaster. “The Maine community needed help.”
Stucker’s desire to help also stemmed from personal experience. Before her mother died last spring, she said, she spent a lot of time in hospitals and needed donor blood.
“It motivated me, because it’s a much bigger deal than people realize,” Stucker said. “A blood shortage is the last thing people need.”
With the help of a blood drive manager, Stucker and Morse reserved the gym, made informational posters about their blood drive and got the word out to the community.
“I was surprised when we kept seeing the slots fill,” Morse said. “The community responded really well. It was cool to see.”
A total of 55 students, teachers and other community members turned out to donate.
The blood was sent to Massachusetts for testing, and all donations will come back to Maine for donations to hospitals in need of it, such as the Lewiston hospital.
Inspired by the success of this year’s blood drive, Stucker and Morse plan to organize another, larger drive in March.
According to the Red Cross, the national blood supply in September was 25% lower than the August supply. To replenish the supply, it needed 10,000 units of blood to be donated each week for at least a month. About 29,000 units of blood are needed in the United States every day.
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