Four Freeport High School students selected in statewide contest
AUGUSTA, MAINE – Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, State Representative Melanie Sachs, and New England Donor Services (NEDS) representatives today honored four students from Freeport High School who were selected as this year’s winners in the New England Donor Services High School Poster Contest for organ donation awareness.
The annual statewide contest challenges high school students to create posters to educate the public about organ donation. The art from the top three winners will be displayed across the state and New England. The contest is a way for students to show off their creative talents, while spreading awareness about the importance of organ donation.
The winners were:
- 1st place – Cole Bowen, Freeport High School (10th grade)
- 2nd place – Jacoby Brehm, Freeport High School (10th grade)
- 3rd place – Ian Guzman, Freeport High School (10th grade)
- Honorable mention – Makenzie Mills, Freeport High School (9th grade)
“This year, NEDS has achieved a record number of life-saving donor organ donations and transplants in its New England service area for the 4th consecutive year, and since 2020, we have been able to increase the annual number of organ donors by 80 percent,” said Matthew Boger, Director of Government Relations at New England Donor Services. “But the need is great, and every day someone is waiting, hoping for that lifesaving donation. This annual contest is a fun way to bring attention to a very serious matter, and we cannot thank these students enough for their beautiful and impactful designs.”
In 2024, NEDS coordinated organ donations from 648 individuals resulting in 1,570 lifesaving transplants. The record level of clinical activity places NEDS among the nation’s top three organ procurement organizations (OPOs) by donor volume nationwide.
“Approximately 54% of Mainers who receive a new license or state ID in any given month chose to be organ donors,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “This past month, we saw a record number of people include that heart on their identification, and already this year, more than 72,000 Mainers have signed up to be potential lifesaving donors.”
Mainers do not need to wait for license renewal time or go into a Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) branch to update their donor status. Donor status can be updated by calling 207-624-9000 ext. 52114 or by visiting the BMV home page on the Secretary of State’s website, www.maine.gov/sos/bmv.
About New England Donor Services (NEDS): New England Donor Services is a leading nonprofit organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the eastern counties of Vermont and Bermuda. Co-founded in 1968 by Nobel laureate Dr. Joseph Murray, who performed the world’s first successful organ transplant, today NEDS works with thousands of donors and donor families who have generously made the decision to give the gift of life. The organization’s highly skilled staff medically screen referrals for potential donations from more than 200 hospitals across the region and lead all donor authorization discussions with families. NEDS also allocates organs according to the national transplant waiting list and coordinates their transport to ensure the right organs get to the right patients at the right time. Learn more at https://neds.org or follow New England Donor Services on LinkedIn or on X at @NEDonorServices.
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