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Officer Shot In The Line Of Duty Inspires First-Time Blood Donors

By Howard Nathan

DENVER (CBS4) - Dozens of people gave blood for the first time on Saturday. They were inspired to roll up their sleeves by the story of a Denver police officer who was shot in the line of duty.

Little Man Ice Cream offered free pints after people donated a pint of blood.

Broncos fans bleed orange, but on Saturday dozens donated their healthy red blood in honor of Denver Police Sgt. Tony Lopez who came close to losing his life after being shot in December.

"I feel a very personal emotional connection to the police and what they do to help people", said blood donor Ashley Grieve of Denver.

blood donor Ashley Grieve
Blood donor Ashley Grieve (credit: CBS)

Grieve works for Planned Parenthood. After the deadly shooting at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs last November, the blood drive turned into the perfect chance to show appreciation.

"DPD in particular is really important to me; police all around Colorado are really important to me", said Grieve.

Originally 28 people signed up for Saturday's blood drive. Only one blood donor bus was needed, but after interest swelled in the Highlands neighborhood, a second donor bus was added. By the end of the day 105 people donated blood with half of them being first-time donors.

LOPEZ BLOOD DRIVE 10]PKG

CBS4's Howard Nathan asked first-time donor Jayla Gentile what took her so long to donate.

"Just the fear of needles and fear of the pain, but it's really not bad," she replied. "It's definitely worth it, I'll probably end up doing it again."

Donating again is what the Bonfils Blood Center wants. The snowstorm at the beginning of the week put collections behind by nearly 400 pints.

"We need about 3,000 donors every week to make sure we can meet the needs of our local community," said Bonfils spokesperson Julie Scott.

Scott said there's also a friendly competition going on between the CEO of Bonfils and the CEO of a similar blood donor organization in North Carolina. The competition ends Sunday. After the Broncos win the Super Bowl the CEO in North Carolina will wear a Broncos jersey.

LINK: Bonfils Blood Center

Howard Nathan is a veteran newsman. Decades later, he still enjoys writing a clever sentence, asking the tough question and talking to people in Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Howard and read his bio.

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