GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A community blood drive on Saturday was held in memory of Amillier “Milli” Penn, a 15-year-old boy shot and killed in Grand Rapids more than a year ago.

For Milli’s father, Corey Penn, blood donation felt like a way to keep his son’s legacy alive while bringing healing to others. It was the first time he donated blood, which is something he admitted he was nervous about at first.

“I just feel like this was a perfect thing to do to honor him,” Penn said. “I was afraid to do this at first, but it doesn’t hurt that much and there’s nothing wrong with giving back. Our community needs to understand that and we should embrace that.”

The blood drive was held in partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Michigan, where community members were encouraged to give blood

See Full Page