First responders give the gift of blood in York Region

Barrie.ctvnews.ca
June 30, 2014
By Courtney Heels

The need for blood donations is always high in the summer months, and today a clinic in York Region brought out a lot of emergency workers.

Garry Styles has donated blood more than 160 times, but today's donation was different. It was in honour of his son, Garrett.

“I think he saw that I enjoyed doing it and he got involved in giving blood also,” he says. “And a lot of his friends on the job have done it. It's a great way of helping your community.”

York Regional Police Const. Garrett Styles died on the job almost three years ago.

His father had a tattoo done in his memory.

Styles’ friends and fellow colleagues are thinking of him today.

“I know his family,” says YRP Const. Richard Wojtulewicz. “Garrett comes from my district. I knew him very well. I'm thinking of him.”

Shortly after Styles died, his friends went out to give blood - a cause close to the officer's heart.

“As officers, we want to get out and help and we want to do something to make a difference and they were feeling kind of helpless and I came up with the idea we could go together and make a donation in Garrett's name,” says YRP Const. Ashley Smith. “And from that small group, the donor clinic grew from there.”

The clinic is now parked in front of police headquarters with dozens of emergency responders stopping by. They’re the ones who know first-hand just how important it is to give.

“Fire, police and ems do see the need for blood, whether it's a car accident, a gunshot victim. They do see the need for blood immediately,” says Mary Piccioni with Canadian Blood Services.

And the need is great right now, with donations down across the region. At the clinic today though, there was no shortage of people wanting to help.