LEWISTON — Central Maine Medical Center hosted a community blood drive Saturday as a tribute to the doctors, nurses and medical staff who responded to the Lewiston mass shooting on the night of Oct. 25, 2023. The hospital, working with the American Red Cross, said it holds blood drives each quarter to both remember those lost and recognize the health care workers who acted during the crisis.
Hospital leaders said the effort serves a dual purpose: it provides a practical way for the community to contribute to ongoing medical needs while offering a focal point for remembrance. The drive is part of Central Maine Healthcare’s continuing outreach related to the shooting, and officials described it as a yearly way to mark the community’s resilience.
Commemoration and community response
Jennifer Bodger, senior vice president of operations at Central Maine Healthcare, emphasized the importance of repeating the event and keeping the community connected.
"We saw our community come together during an unimaginable tragedy and we saw them step up then. And we just want to continue to get back every year," Bodger said. "We think it's a really good way to recognize the tragedy of the community and the lives lost and again the people that stepped up for everyone on that day and the survivors."
Hospital organizers said the remembrance work extends beyond the blood drive. On Sunday night at 7:24 p.m., CMMC planned a moment of silence timed to the arrival of the first victims on the night of the shooting. The hospital also coordinated several visible memorials around downtown Lewiston, including candles placed in windows along Main Street and a banner to be hung atop the parking garage.
Why a blood drive?
Central Maine Medical Center and the American Red Cross framed the effort as both symbolic and practical: a way to honor the medical response to the tragedy while replenishing local blood supplies. Blood donations remain a routine but essential contribution to hospitals, and drives like this offer community members a tangible way to show support.
- Host: Central Maine Medical Center
- Partner: American Red Cross
- Purpose: Honor medical responders; provide blood for patients
- Related memorials: Moment of silence at 7:24 p.m.; candles on Main Street; banner on parking garage
Hospital officials noted the blood drives are held quarterly, indicating an ongoing commitment to both remembrance and meeting patient needs. They called on residents to participate if they are able and medically eligible to donate.
Local impact and continuing recovery
The blood drive is one of several community responses and remembrance activities in the Lewiston-Auburn area tied to the Oct. 25 anniversary. For many residents and institutions, such observances serve as moments to reflect on the emergency response, the role of health care professionals, and the broader work of healing.
Central Maine Healthcare’s approach — combining practical assistance with public memorials — reflects a familiar model used by hospitals and nonprofit partners after mass casualty events: provide a constructive outlet for grief while addressing health system needs. Organizers said they hope the events will promote unity and support for survivors and first responders.
How to participate
Those interested in donating blood at CMMC events are typically asked to register in advance through the American Red Cross or the hospital’s donation portals, and to meet standard donor eligibility requirements. Organizers said further scheduling details and sign-up information were available through the hospital and Red Cross channels ahead of the drive.
| Event | When |
|---|---|
| Blood drive | Saturday (hosted by CMMC and American Red Cross) |
| Moment of silence | Sunday at 7:24 p.m. |
| Visual remembrances | Candles in windows on Main Street; banner on parking garage |
Hospital leaders reiterated that the drives are a way to keep the community connected to the needs of patients and to honor the actions of medical personnel. The event provides an avenue for residents to give in a way that directly supports local health care services while commemorating a traumatic chapter in the city’s recent history.
Further information and future dates for quarterly blood drives are available from Central Maine Healthcare and the American Red Cross.
