3 employees from the Platte County Prosecutor's office donating blood

On June 28, the room where the Platte County Commission usually meets and Circuit Judge Myles Perry hears most of his cases was transformed into a blood donation unit. As part of the Prosecuting Attorney's Office's WE CARE program, about two dozen prosecutors, staff, and other county employees donated blood to the American Red Cross.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, "Unfortunately, too many cases handled by my office involve violence, blood loss, and, sometimes, the loss of life. It was great for us to deal with blood in a much different way for one afternoon by donating it to the American Red Cross and saving lives."

As part of Zahnd's WE CARE program, the prosecuting attorney's office spends one Friday afternoon each quarter volunteering with a local non-profit organization. The American Red Cross, which collects and distributes blood all across the Kansas City metro and the entire United States, was this quarter's partner agency.

The mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. As part of that mission, the Red Cross responds to natural disasters, offers services to the Armed Forces, provides first-aid, water safety, and other life-saving training, and distributes vaccines across the world.

More than 40% of the nation's blood supply is collected and distributed by the Red Cross. Much of that blood is collected in community blood drives like the one hosted by the prosecuting attorney's office's WE CARE program.

Billy Dalton, account manager for the American Red Cross in the metro area, said "Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of lifesaving blood. Local partners like the Platte County Prosecuting Attorney's Office help us meet those demands and save lives. We appreciate their partnership."

The WE CARE group has previously volunteered at Harvesters food bank, Sullivan Nature Sanctuary, Synergy Services, Hillcrest Platte County, and The Farmer's House. In December 2023, they hosted a lunch with Santa Claus, who met with children who had been victimized by crime.

To learn more about the American Red Cross or to donate blood, visit www.redcross.org.