As local blood supplies remain critically low heading into the challenging summer season, Community Blood Center (CBC) and the Kansas City Royals have teamed up once again to encourage lifesaving blood donations through the return of the annual Royals Weeks and a Royals Summer Blood Drive at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals hosted a community blood drive at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, June 3 and collected more than 70 donations for local patients in need. They now invite community members to continue saving lives with CBC throughout Royals Weeks, when all who come to donate at a CBC donor center or mobile blood drive can receive two vouchers redeemable for tickets to a select 2026 Royals home game, while supplies last.
The Kansas City Royals have been a dedicated partner to CBC for more than 25 years, hosting blood drives and encouraging blood donations during some of the most critical times for the blood supply. Summer is traditionally one of the most difficult times for maintaining the blood supply due to school breaks, vacations, and seasonal travel, while trauma cases and emergency needs often increase during warmer months.
This summer’s need is especially significant as Kansas City welcomes the world for upcoming FIFA World Cup matches. CBC is proud to serve as the blood supplier for Kansas City’s FIFA World Cup-designated hospitals, making a stable blood supply more important than ever.
“We are so grateful to the Kansas City Royals for stepping up to the plate to help us maintain the blood supply during the critical summer months with this fun seasonal campaign,” said Chelsea Tibbetts, Vice President of Operations, Community Blood Center. “We’re hopeful this partnership will inspire community members to donate blood, bring a friend, and support the home team this summer. Every blood donation is a lifeline for patients in our community.”
Summer also kicks off CBC’s broader “Be the Reason Summer Feels Brighter” initiative, a seasonal effort focused on maintaining a stable blood supply throughout the challenging summer months. Donors can visit savealifenow.org/reason to learn more about Royals Week, view upcoming summer donation opportunities, and find convenient locations to donate.