A blood drive will be held on Thursday in memory of the five Fairport teenagers killed in a traffic accident.

FAIRPORT, NY — A blood drive will be held Thursday in memory of five Fairport teenagers who died in a car crash 17 years ago.

The Fairport Angels’ annual blood drive is held each June from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the St. John of Rochester gymnasium in Fairport. Diane McClure, whose daughter Meredith was killed in the car crash, is helping organize the blood drive in her memory.

Her daughter had just graduated high school with four of her closest friends – Hannah, Katie, Bailey and Sara – when they died in the crash that made national headlines on June 26, 2007. The girls were out celebrating at Cayuga Lake when their car was struck by a semi-truck in Bloomfield. McClure said the community support has been tremendous from day one.

“I’ve been contacted by people offering to bring food to the blood drive,” she said. “I’ve gotten emails saying they remember the people who spoke to us 17 years ago. People still remember, and that’s what gives us joy to continue to honor them today.”

An appointment is recommended for the blood drive. You can visit the American Red Cross website here and use the code word “fairportangels.” You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767).

Katie Hout, a senior account manager at the Red Cross, said donating a pint of blood can save up to three lives. She said blood donations usually drop in the summer because people are traveling and out of school, so it’s important to donate now.

“Last month we collected 20,000 units less than we need to meet our commitments to hospitals, so we really encourage donors,” Hout said.

The campaign takes place ahead of World Blood Donor Day on Friday, against the backdrop of a drastic decline in blood donations in recent weeks.