Blood Drive Being Held To Honor Fallen Fort Worth Officer Hank Nava
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Fort Worth police and the family of a fallen officer are encouraging the public to give a life-saving gift this week.
Henry "Hank" Nava, Jr. was an officer with the Fort Worth Police Department when he was shot and killed in the line of duty on Dec. 1, 2005 while serving an arrest warrant. He was 39 years old, and a father.
His family says he was big about giving back to the community, so a blood drive will take place Monday and Tuesday in his memory.
While Sunday marked 14 years since his passing, the officer is not forgotten.
For the last three years, his family has organized a blood drive at police headquarters.
Nava's widow, Teresa Nava-Salazar, says she still keeps up with Hank's blue family and, so many years later, still hears stories about his impact on others.
"Just his infectious smile that everyone loved. He loved life and he loved being a cop and he loved serving his community. He loved talking to kids, and helping them in the struggles in their life," she said.
The blood drive Monday and Tuesday will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex. The public is invited to participate.
The drive comes at a time when blood donations are needed across the country. Nava's family says the effort helped around 300 lives in the last two years.