FORT MYERS, Fla. — Fort Myers Police and health professionals continued a blood drive tradition in honor of the late Officer Adam Jobbers-Miller, who lost his life in the line of duty.
A Lee Health representative says 500 people gave blood when the officer was in need back in 2018. Even though he passed away FMPD, the Jobbers-Miller family, and Lee Health wanted to keep his legacy alive.
People lined up from the community to give blood at the 6th annual Adam Jobbers-Miller blood drive.
Captain Roger Valdivia of the Fort Myers Police Department says Jobbers-Miller was in the hospital for seven days and needed blood in 2018.
"The family, the hospital, and the police department put out a call to the community, stating that, you know, we were short of blood, and we needed blood, and it was just the response was just amazing," says Valdivia.
Six years ago, 500 people showed up for Jobbers-Miller in one day to give blood. Now, Blood Center Supervisor Jeremy Puckett says the three-day blood drive has produced 1,000 units of blood since 2019.
He reflects on the man Jobbers-Miller was to his community.
"He was always a great help to the community, and this is something that they felt they could do to help support that and continue his legacy," Puckett said.
Both Lee Health representatives and the police department say a true partnership is represented through the blood drive.
Puckett says that over 100 people donated during the first two days of the drive.
"I was so happy to be able to come out here today, in memory of Adam, and do something good for the community and for the people," said State Attorney Amira Fox, the prosecutor during the Jobbers-Miller murder trial. "He spent his career and gave his life for the rest of us."
The captain told us his legacy would live on, and if an opportunity presents itself, they will continue to do the blood drive during the same time in the summer to honor the life lived of the fallen officer.
