KDWPT
TOPEKA – Wednesday, game wardens in northeast Kansas, along with other Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) law enforcement officers and agency staff participated in the Second Annual Fallen Officers Memorial Blood Drive for the American Red Cross.
Members of the Washburn University Police Department also generously volunteered their time and blood.
The blood drive was held at the KDWPT Region 2 Office at 300 SW Wanamaker in Topeka. Twenty-nine volunteers were scheduled to donate.
The Game Warden Honor Guard conducted a flag ceremony honoring fallen officers to open the drive.
The fallen officers and their dates of death are:
- John H. Cox, Game Warden, December 6, 1916; Shot and killed trying to arrest a person suspected of hunting illegally
- F.W. Tierney, Game Warden, January 1925; Shot and killed by two men suspected of poaching
- Elmer L. Nonnast, Game Warden, May 8, 1974; Died of a heart attack during a foot pursuit of men suspected of poaching fish on the Arkansas River
- Luke D. Nihart, Park Ranger, June 26, 2010
The family of Luke Nihart attended the flag ceremony. Nihart, age 32 and the father of two children, died in an ATV accident at Tuttle Creek State Park while working at Country Stampede.
According to Susan Faler, Account Manager for American Red Cross Blood Services, the holidays, cold weather and widespread illness this winter have combined to greatly reduce the number of people who have volunteered to give blood. “I want to thank Captain Dan Melson, the KDWPT staff and the Washburn University Police Department for doing such a tremendous job in organizing today’s blood drive.”
“This is our way of giving life-saving help to those in need and, at the same time, honor our fellow officers who gave their lives in the line of duty,” said Captain Melson, supervising game warden for northeast Kansas who organized the event.