Western New York continues to honor Office Craig Lehner ahead of his funeral this week.
A prime example is the overwhelming turnout of the blue pumpkin give away in Clarence.
Even though the pumpkins didn't last very long, there's a bond that will last forever.
"I was in Iraq with Craig in 2011 on the same tour...I consider myself honored that I had the opportunity to know him," said Kevin Lange who served in the 105th Military Police Company as a Staff Sergeant.
Lange painted over 300 pumpkins and said this is exactly what his friend would have wanted, to color the city blue.
Hundreds of people stopped to grab pumpkins and in a matter of hours, 1,000 blue pumpkins had disappeared.
It wasn't just about the pumpkins Saturday afternoon, many western new yorkers offered donations to the Lehner family, in an additional sign of support.
"This is bigger than pumpkins. It gives people an opportunity to heal," Lange said.
Not only does it let people heal, it gives the community a chance to come together.
