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Crime & Safety

Community Pumps Blood to Honor Dedham Firefighter's Legacy

Dedham Fire Department and Dedham Firefighters Local 1735 host Red Cross Family Fun Day and Blood Drive Saturday in memory of Dedham firefighter Henry Dietzel Jr.

Local residents donated more than time to the on Saturday.

More than 100 people honored the memory of late Dedham firefighter Henry "Henney" Dietzel Jr. with blood donations at the Red Cross Family Fun Day and Blood Drive this Fourth of July weekend.

Henry Dietzel Jr., a former blood donor, embraced his role in the Dedham community by serving as a firefighter for 30 years. Henry Dietzel Jr.'s son Bob said his father loved the Dedham community. 

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"No matter what town he was in, he either knew someone or could make a friend," Bob Dietzel said of his late father. 

Bob Dietzel acknowledged the Fourth of July holds a special meaning to his family. His father was discharged from the Navy on July 4, 1946, and passed away on the same date in 2006. 

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Bob Dietzel and his wife, Mary Dietzel, organized the blood drive to commemorate Henry Dietzel Jr.'s legacy while helping bring life to others.

"It's been busy, but it's been fun," Mary Dietzel said. "It's a happy event for the family rather than a sombre event."

The event featured activities for all ages, including face painting, a cookout and an old-fashioned fire engine. Mary Dietzel worked with the Dedham Fire Department and the Dedham Firefighters Local 1735 to host the blood drive. 

Jecoliah Ellis, American Red Cross Massachusetts Blood Services Region Communications Program Manager, said the number of blood donations the group receives annually decreases during the summer. But Ellis added the American Red Cross's outreach has helped the group be successful in finding new donors.

"One of the most common reasons we hear is that a person has never been asked," Ellis said. "We make it a priority to ask." 

Donors answered the call Saturday, providing blood to help save lives. 

"A lot of people have their own story about why they donate," Ashland resident Brian Douglas said. "I do it because I can."

Brian Douglas and his 17-year-old daughter, Sonya Douglas, offered platelets, small cells providing assistance in blood clotting, during the blood drive. Donors can offer platelets up to 24 times per year.

Brian Douglas said he and his daughter donate platelets every other week. Brian Douglas, a 10-year blood donor, said the process has become routine.

"I do it without thinking," Brian Douglas said. 

The local community made it a priority to help save lives while honoring Henry Dietzel Jr. by donating blood, including Steven Dietzel, Henry's 16-year-old grandson. 

"I left the decision up to him," Bob Dietzel said of Steven Dietzel's choice to donate blood. "That's how much he loved his grandfather."

Ellis said the group exceeded its goal, receiving 90 usable blood donations from the event. But the American Red Cross continues to welcome donations. 

For more information, visit www.redcrossblood.org/ or call 1-800 RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

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