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TIFTON, Ga. (WALB) — Five years after Lt. John Edenfield passed away, his life-saving legacy continues one pint at a time.

Community members gathered Tuesday at the Tift County Recreation Department to honor Edenfield through the Badges for Life program, an initiative that encourages blood donations in honor of fallen first responders.

Edenfield, a paramedic with Tift County Fire Rescue, died of a heart attack on Sept. 6, 2020, just before responding to a call. He was a lieutenant at the time of his death.

“Every day I wake up, I know he’s still there doing what he loved to do helping people and saving lives,” said Bo Edenfield, his father. “When you see these people his coworkers, his friends, his family you feel the love he gave them. And they loved him.”

Critical need for blood donations

According to the American Red Cross, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. One pint of blood can save up to three lives. With South Georgia facing a critical shortage, the event carried deeper meaning.

“I’ve known John David and his family all his life,” said Beth Connell, co-chair of the blood drive. “It’s a privilege to help carry on his legacy. He loved people, and he always wanted to take care of everybody.”

Donors at the May 12 event received a Badges for Life T-shirt, a $20 eGift card and a wellness checkup including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening.

A calling to help others

Edenfield’s family said he never hesitated to put others first, and becoming a paramedic was more than a job.

“He always told me, ‘Dad, I need to be helping people.’ That was his goal,” Bo Edenfield said.

The blood drive ran from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Tift County Recreation Department, located at 401 Victory Drive in Tifton.

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