SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - It's a nationwide effort to show support for those who wear the badge.
This week is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Week, and people are helping back the blue by donating blood.
Sgt. Tracy Lillard with the Illinois State Police said the Central Illinois Community Blood Center is hosting the Bleed Blue event.
"The color blue is representative of law enforcement in general. I think a lot of times, people are wondering how they can show their support for the police department," Lillard said. "Sometimes, people want to wear blue, they want to say thank you, they want to buy a cup of coffee and this event here, they can give back to their community and to law enforcement by donating their blood."
Lillard said these donations are not only critical for law enforcement, but they could also help save the life of anyone's family member or friend.
"We've lost four police officers in 2019, and some of those officers required blood donations. We've had blood donations save officers' lives in the past," Lillard said. "It could be a motorist, it could be a child that needs it for some transfusion. If that blood is already on the shelf, that's what makes it so important."
This is the first Bleed Blue event for the Illinois State Police. Anyone who chooses to donate blood from now until this weekend can tell their blood center the donation is on behalf of the Bleed Blue event.
"We're out there every day. We're out their risking our lives every day for the safety of the public," Lillard said. "That gift of showing their support for law enforcement by doing something such as this means a lot to us."
