Over $84K Disbursed to Lewiston Mass Shooting Survivors

May 7, 2026 — On March 3, The Root Cellar set something powerful into motion when it made the decision to give its $65,521.79 grant from the Maine Community Foundation's Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund to VictimsFirst for direct distribution to Lewiston shooting victims and survivors for immediate needs.

That single act of generosity inspired more donations for mass shooting victims’ families and survivors of the October 25, 2023 mass shootings at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley and Schemengees Bar & Grille. VictimsFirst collected a total of $84,772.82, and 100% of those donations went directly to the Lewiston victim base, which provided direct financial assistance to those still struggling with financial hardship because of the shooting. We disbursed the entire amount, including interest, through 33 disbursements to families of the deceased, those wounded and those who survived.

"The Root Cellar showed what it looks like when an organization puts victims first. They truly turned compassion into action," said Dr. Zachary Blair, President of VictimsFirst. "That example inspired others to give, creating a vital lifeline for those whose lives were shattered on October 25, 2023.”

We would like to also thank other donors — Mid Valley Motors Towing and Recovery, Franco Center for Performing Arts and Events, and Amy and Jeff Sussman (the Aunt and Uncle of murder victim Maxx Hathaway) — who came together to assist.

These designated donations went to pay for everything from food, utility bills, rent, car payments, childcare, transportation, dental bills, auto repairs, children' s mental health needs, transition periods from disability to a first paycheck, and other pressing financial needs resulting from the shooting.

We want to thank the Resiliency Center for working to connect two survivors with affordable housing resources, sending survivors to us for direct financial assistance, and providing interpreter services for those survivors from the deaf community.

Our objective was to address the unmet financial needs that exist because of the shooting, alleviating the financial pressure that compounds trauma and that comes with being unable to pay for basic living expenses. Because the ultimate goal is to help people find their footing and stabilize, our work is ongoing as we are still assisting two survivors who are trying to find remote jobs in the area.

As with everything we do, we worked pro bono, taking no administrative fee. 

To date, VictimsFirst has collected $325,926 for the Lewiston victims’ families and survivors and every penny went directly to them.