Maine Catholic youth to score donations during “Souper” Bowl of Caring on Feb. 1-2

SACO — While the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will be racking up points during Sunday’s Super Bowl, young Catholics from around Maine will be busy scoring donations to benefit those in need through the “Souper” Bowl of Caring.

The annual event, to be held this year on Saturday, Feb. 1, and Sunday, Feb. 2, is a weekend of giving and serving during which 100 percent of the monetary and food donations collected will be given to local charities to help tackle hunger in the community. York County parishes participating include:

• Good Shepherd Parish, Saco
Parish youth, parents, and college students will gather donations at all weekend Masses at four churches (Most Holy Trinity Church, Saco; St. Joseph Church, Biddeford; St. Margaret Church, Old Orchard Beach; and St. Philip Church, Lyman).

•Parish of the Ascension of the Lord, Kittery
High school students will stand at the exit doors after Masses with soup pots to collect monetary donations and canned goods for local food pantries in Berwick, Kittery, and York. The collections are scheduled for all Masses at three parish churches (St. Raphael Church, Kittery; Our Lady of the Angels Church, South Berwick; and St. Christopher Church, York).

Critical type O blood shortage: Red Cross urgently needs donors

SACO — The American Red Cross has extended its urgent call for donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets. With influenza escalating across the country and preventing some donors from giving, and winter weather threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross now has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves.

Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood available for patient emergencies and medical treatments. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. While just 7 percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is what hospital staff reach for during emergencies when there isn’t time to determine a patient’s blood type.

Every day, the Red Cross must collect nearly 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,600 platelet donations for patients who rely on blood to survive.

Donors of all blood types – especially types O positive and O negative – are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Donors living in Southern Maine have the opportunity to give blood or platelets at nearby Red Cross Blood Donation Centers. For hours of operation and to make an appointment, view the Portland and Auburn Red Cross Blood Donation Center information on RedCrossBlood.org

Two blood donations are scheduled for Saco: Jan. 31, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sweetser Saco, 50 Moody St. and Feb. 10, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 403 Main St.

All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Saco resident named to UNH dean’s list for fall semester

Shannon Roche of Saco, has been named to the dean’s list at the University of New Hampshire for earning highest honors for the fall 2019 semester.

Students named to the dean’s list at the University of New Hampshire are students who have earned recognition through their superior scholastic performance during a semester enrolled in a full-time course load (12 or more graded credits). Highest honors are awarded to students who earn a semester grade point average of 3.85 or better out of a possible 4.0. Students with a 3.65 to 3.84 average are awarded high honors.

Local residents make dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, Mass. — The following local students have made the dean’s list at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the fall 2019 semester: Jared Michael Pierce of Biddeford and Brody Xavier Manczak of Saco.

Watch out for clickbait scams following a tragedy

The Better Business Bureau is warning basketball fans everywhere to not let their mourning cloud their judgment. The tragic death of Kobe Bryant is likely to generate scams exploiting fans’ eagerness for information and memorabilia. BBB has seen this happen numerous times in the past when celebrities have died unexpectedly, and is warning consumers to be on the lookout for scams mentioning the Lakers star and his daughter, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

Spear phishing emails are directed towards an individual, organization or business with a catchy headline. The sender claims to be from a reputable news organization capitalizing on trending news with an exclusive video, image or document they want to share with you. There is typically a link that will lead the user to a malicious website if they click on it.

Look at the sender’s email address before clicking on anything in the email. If it’s someone you’re not familiar with, delete it. Don’t click links in any email unless you are positive they go to a reputable address. Hover over the link to see where it will take you.

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