Fallen Officers Blood Drive scheduled

The blood drive will take place at the Clay County Justice Center from 2-6 p.m., Thursday.

Organizers hope local residents will help save lives by attending the blood drive hosted by the Clay County Sheriff's Department and The Indiana Blood Center and take a moment to donate to the fund to place a plaque on Haviland's grave.

"Clay City Town Marshal Perry Haviland was killed in the line of duty in 1967, and there isn't a marker on his grave showing his service to the community," Clay County Sheriff Mike Heaton recently told The Brazil Times. "We want to honor Mr. Haviland's family and rectify that."

Bio Box

Haviland

Clay City Police Town Marshal Perry W. Haviland

Biographical Info

Age: 73

Tour of Duty: 5 years

Incident Details

Date of Incident: Sunday, September 17, 1967

Weapon Used: Officer's handgun

Marshal Perry Haviland was shot and killed with his own weapon while struggling with a burglary suspect behind a Clay City store. 
The suspect was later apprehended as a result of notes that Marshal Haviland had written down when he pulled his patrol car behind the suspect's vehicle. Marshal Haviland had served with the Clay City Police Department for five years.

CCSD Chief Deputy Rob Gambill said those wishing to participate in the blood drive should enter through the main entrance at the justice center where a receptionist will be on hand to guide people through the facility.

With summer at hand, Gambill believes donating blood is important.

"With the increase in travel, accidents occur more often and the need for blood products is huge," he said. "A person can take 20-30 minutes out of their day to help someone live another 20-30 years. When a person needs blood, nothing else will do."

Another person also knows the value of giving blood.

On July 10, 2001, Morgan County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Dan R. Starnes lost his life in the line of duty as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during a gun battle four weeks earlier with a burglary suspect.

To keep Starnes' memory alive, his wife Janice organized the annual Sgt. Dan R. Starnes Memorial Blood Drive later that year.

In 2007, Janice decided to take the blood drive event statewide and renamed it the Indiana Fallen Officers Blood Drive.

This year donation sites are located in nearly every county statewide throughout the month of June in memory of officers who have lost their lives during the line of duty.

CCSD will also be raising funds to support the upcoming Indiana Sheriffs' Association Youth Leadership Camp by selling raffle tickets for a 2009 FLHX Harley-Davidson Street Glide motorcycle. The winning ticket will be drawn during the Indiana State Fair on Aug. 23 at the ISA Sheriff's Booth. The winner does not need to be present to win, but their picture and information will be placed on the ISA website.

Just the Facts

Indiana Blood Facts:

Within the state of Indiana, 1,000 units of blood are needed daily.

Each unit of donated blood helps in three different ways:

Red Cells

Platelets

Plasma