Thousands Respond With Acts Of Kindness Residents Line Up To Give Blood, Assist Rescuers, Help Clean Up

Residents responded to a terrorist attack on the heart of their city with an outpouring of kindness, as thousands of ordinary citizens rolled up their sleeves to sweep away the broken glass that littered sidewalks blocks from the site of Wednesday’s bombing, to assist in rescue efforts, to feed the workers or to donate blood.

“It’s a tragedy, and I want to do anything I can to help,” said Mary Nickles, one of more than 200 people who lined the sidewalk outside the Oklahoma Blood Institute. “The bomb shook our house this morning and woke me up. I came here as soon as I knew what was going on.”

Nickles has the rare type O-negative blood that officials were especially eager to acquire, but she said she would have donated regardless of her blood type.

The line Nickles was in reached past a pawnshop, where the owners donated raincoats to shield the blood donors from a steady drizzle, as well as television to keep the donors apprised of the news. It also reached past the Ballroom Oklahoma Dance Studio, which offered donors cookies, juice and use of its restrooms.

“I came in this morning, gave blood, and the line started piling up, so we opened up the doors,” said Heather Crews, an instructor at the school. “We figured that if we can’t give more blood, we ought to feed those who can - any way we can help at all.”

The response to the calls for help was so strong that by midafternoon, radio stations were announcing no more volunteers were needed for many operations and that those who already were trying to help were causing traffic jams downtown.