Benjamin McQuade, a junior at Pilgrim High School, has planned a blood drive for this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Warwick Firefighters’ Association located at 750 Warwick Ave. 

A member of Boy Scout Troop 1 Gaspee, McQuade has taken on the blood drive as his Eagle Scout project. In order to achieve Eagle Scout, Scouts must complete a service project that will benefit the community as part of other requirements. This project must be approved by the troop and planned out before it occurs. 

McQuade has been preparing for the event for about six weeks, working with the Rhode Island Blood Center and leading fellow scouts in making posters.

“Preparing for the event, I met with Renalda Maurice Simmons of the RIBC; she’s very helpful. I also had my troop make posters for it,” McQuade said.

McQuade explained that for his Eagle Scout project he needs to demonstrate leadership, which he will do by leading the volunteers and other scouts to run the blood drive on Saturday. Scouts will help in signing up blood donors or by assisting in serving breakfast, which will be given to anyone that donates. The breakfast has been donated by the Warwick Firefighters Association.

“A scout project is meant to benefit something,” McQuade said. “My blood drive is benefiting patients. I have given blood twice, and it really makes an impact on me because I know how much it saves lives. And since I have the ability to [donate blood], I should do that.”

McQuade encourages everyone to get involved in the event and to ask that others do as well.

“I’ve been telling everyone, if you can’t donate then tell someone who can,” McQuade said. “I hope that everyone who can donate does…there are plenty of people who need blood donations out there.”

Donors can sign up in advance on the RIBC website, ribcdonor.org.