ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A blood drive on Saturday will honor the memory of a Rochester Police officer who died in a crash.

Officer Manuel Ortiz died in a crash on Empire Boulevard on his way to work in November of 2019. He was an active volunteer at the Red Cross and a pillar of the community, according to his colleagues.

“Manny was not only an icon in the Rochester Police Department but he was certainly an icon in the Hispanic community,” said Paul Dondorfer, executive vice president of the Rochester Police Locust Club. “It being Hispanic heritage month, his family thought that this would be a great idea to keep his memory alive, and to save lives, which is what he did his entire career as a police officer.”

The blood drive is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greater Rochester Chapter of the Red Cross on 1040 University Ave. You can sign up to donate online here. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or sign up through the Red Cross app.