Photo courtesy of Lisa Beth Anderson. 

WE Labs is inviting Long Beach to celebrate the life of its founder and one of Long Beach’s most visionary community leaders, Markus Manley, by contributing to a cause that enabled the hard-working creative to stay with us just a little bit longer. 

Manley passed away one year ago due to complications related to esophageal varices, brought on by auto-immune hepatitis, which he was diagnosed with at the age of 17. According to WE Labs, the generosity of those who donated blood during Manley’s last days gave him the time to say goodbye to friends and family.

WE Labs will host the first bi-annual Markus Manley Memorial Blood Drive on Sunday, March 29, from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. American Red Cross will facilitate the drive by taking the donations in a Red Cross donation mobile in the parking lot immediately outside the entrance to 235 E. Broadway. The drive is planned to be held twice a year, in March and July, March being the month Manley passed and July being the month he was born.

If you are willing and able, you can sign up to give today by clicking here.

Up in WE Labs’ collaborative space, also from 10:00AM to 4:00PM, a celebration through music and art in remembrance of Markus’ life will be held. At 1:00PM, WE Labs will officially launch the Markus Manley Dream Fund, which will raise funds to be distributed in the form of competitive grants to youth who have ideas and projects aimed at improving the community.

WE Labs asks that those planning on attending RSVP here.

WE Labs, Inc. is located at 235 E. Broadway, Suite 800, on the 8th floor of the Pacific Tower building.

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