Pins to honor Newtown first responders

(WTNH) -- A student from Central Connecticut State University is honoring first responders from Newtown. He designed pins for them to wear and all of the proceeds go to charity and he's already sold thousands of them.

They were the first ones into Sandy Hook Elementary School, the police officers and paramedics, and they are the first ones being remembered by David Rohner.

He is a CCSU student who comes from a long line of officers. His father and his uncle both serve and protect so he designed a Newtown pin for officers to wear and all proceeds go to the Newtown Police Officers Union.

"I can't imagine coming back to work the next day and having to go right back at it after the things they saw in that building and the money can help them you know, pay for the sick time that they need, pay for the therapy that they need," said David Rohner.

It started out with just a few pins for a few officers and within a couple of weeks he had sold more than 1,500 and has ordered another 3,000 from the manufacturer.

"These p.d.'s have either been nice enough to put a list out for me at roll call where their officers can order them individually or the unions have come out and bought them themselves for their officers to wear," said Rohner.

David says while he has had a lot of success selling the pins in Connecticut, it's not just for our state. He has had a lot of interest around the country and even from around the world wondering where they can get the pin.

"There is a church down in Virginia, who, I didn't contact them directly but a woman who had family down there, she wanted to get them down there and they bought a ton of them and were just very supportive. I know CL&P was interested, just an individual there is inquiring so it's not just police departments by any means," said Rohner.

From State Police to Avon, Farmington to Wethersfield, dozens of organizations and towns have bought the pins and still more orders continue to roll in.

"Like I keep saying is I'll keep selling them until people don't wanna buy them anymore," said Rohner.

Pins are sold for $5. If you want to purchase a pin, email drohner@my.ccsu.edu.