11 years after hate crime murders outside of Jewish facilities, individuals are invited to promote kindness through the lifesaving act of giving blood.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Eleven years after a tragic hate crime took the lives of three beloved community members outside Jewish facilities, the Kansas City community has the opportunity to honor their memory through an act of kindness: giving blood.
Right now, local hospitals are facing a blood emergency with supplies down to just 3-days’ worth – far below the ideal 7-10-day inventory needed to meet patient need. To help bridge this gap, Community Blood Center (CBC) is once again partnering with SevenDays®, Make a Ripple, Change the World, a Kansas City-based nonprofit seeking to overcome hate by promoting kindness and understanding via education and dialogue. Together, they’re encouraging the community to donate blood or platelets during this year’s SevenDays initiative – March 31 through April 8 – as an act of kindness.
SevenDays® was founded following the hate crime that took the lives of Reat Underwood, his grandfather Dr. William Corporon, and Terri LaManno outside of Jewish facilities in 2014. For more than a decade, SevenDays® has inspired the community to transform tragedy into action, fostering dialogue and education to combat hate. Since that devastating day, more than 20,000 blood donations have been made in Reat, William, and Terri’s memory.
“Kindness is more than a word — it’s a lifeline,” said Mindy Corporon, Co-Founder of SevenDays®. “Through our partnership with Community Blood Center, we have the opportunity to turn compassion into action, saving lives with every donation. Each drop of blood is a powerful reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can leave a lasting impact. We invite everyone to join us in this mission of love, hope, and healing — because together, we can make a world of difference.”
Unlike many other medical supplies, blood cannot be manufactured or synthetically produced, and donations must come directly from volunteer donors. It is also perishable, making regular donations critical to maintaining a safe and stable blood supply.
“The message of SevenDays® — spreading kindness in our community — is at the heart of blood donation,” said Chelsey Smith, Director of Public Relations at Community Blood Center. “Every day, people in our community rely on blood transfusions. That need can only be met by others who have generously donated.”
During SevenDays® (March 31-April 8), donors can give blood at any CBC donor center or blood drive. Donor center locations include:
- Kansas City, MO – 4040 Main Street
- Overland Park, KS – 10568 Metcalf Ave.
- Blue Springs, MO – 1124 West 40 Highway
- Lee’s Summit – 1551 NE Douglas
- Gladstone, MO – 7265 N. Oak Trafficway
- Topeka, KS – 6220 Southwest 29th Street
- St. Joseph, MO – 3122 Frederick Avenue
- Olathe, KS – 16465 W 119th St.
FOR MEDIA: Monday, March 31 (LOVE Day and Day one of SevenDays): Tony Corporon, Dr. Corporon’s son and Mindy’s brother, and Kindness Youth Leadership Team Member Abby Hill, a senior at Barstow, will be donating blood at CBC’s Overland Park Donor Center (10568 Metcalf Ave) at 8:30am. Media partners are welcome to obtain b-roll and interview footage.
Together, through the simple act of donating blood, we can honor lives lost to hate and ensure that kindness prevails. For more information, visit savealifenow.org or SevenDays.org.
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About Community Blood Center
Founded in 1958, Community Blood Center (CBC) has served Kansas and Missouri for more than 65 years, delivering more than 150,000 lifesaving blood products annually to 70+ hospitals, EMS and healthcare partners. CBC is part of New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe), which spans 17+ states and delivers one million blood products to 400+ U.S. hospitals annually. NYBCe additionally delivers cellular therapies, specialty pharmacy, and medical services to 200+ research, academic and biomedical organizations. NYBCe’s Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute is a leader in hematology and transfusion medicine research, dedicated to the study, prevention, treatment, and cure of bloodborne and blood-related diseases. CBC serves as a vital community lifeline dedicated to helping patients and advancing global public health. To learn more, visit savealifenow.org. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
About SevenDays® is a Kansas City-based nonprofit organization that overcomes hate by promoting kindness and understanding through education and dialogue. SevenDays® honors Reat Underwood, William Corporon, and Terri LaManno, whose lives were taken by hate in 2014 outside of Jewish facilities. Kindness is their legacy. For more information about SevenDays® activities and events please visit: http://SevenDays.org.
SevenDays® Website: http://SevenDays.org
SevenDays® Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/givesevendays
SevenDays® Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/givesevendays/
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