Randy Hass has been creating chairs, desks and even flags out of wood for as long as he can remember.

Hass’s passion began decades ago while he was a junior high school student. He has since turned his love of woodworking into a career as he’s worked in department stores and office buildings around Denver.

But now, the Centennial resident is using his skills by cutting, staining, chiseling and sanding blue-lined flags for the law enforcement members who have had a profound impact on his and his family’s life.

“Basically, this is my mental release,” Hass said. “We all get paid for a living, but when you give someone a flag or something that you’ve made as a thank-you, their expression and look on their face is worth more than a paycheck in many cases.”

Several of these flags were presented to a few members of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office  last month. Sheriff Tyler Brown said to receive this type of gift from a community member is special, and it shows everyone that people still care about law enforcement.

“It’s great to have community support and recognition that deputies make day in and day out, it’s truly an honor,” Brown said.

Hass began making these wooden flags for his brother and life-long friends who work in law enforcement, but following the ambush and killing of Arvada Officer Gordon Beesley in June, Hass was inspired to make more.

“That could’ve happened to any one of them at any time in today’s world, and I wanted to get some made and get them out to people’s that have made a difference in our family’s life,” Hass said. “I just wanted to say thank you for all you’ve done and hope they know they do have community support.”

Despite having a brother in law enforcement, Hass and his daughter, Caitlin, built most of their relationships with officers and deputies through the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics Colorado.

Caitlin participated in swimming while she was a Special Olympic Athlete and was known to have an entourage of law enforcement members fill the stands and cheer her on, Hass said.

“During my time coaching and involvement with Special Olympics, I met many officers and still kept contact with many of them today despite not doing it for about two years,” Hass said. “They’d always come out and support our swim team, and that meant the world to us.”

One of the supporters was Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin Heston, who received one of Hass’s homemade flags  last month.

Heston said he appreciated the flag and emphasized how important programs such as the Special Olympics are to create positive relationships with community members.

“To have that positive interaction with them on a regular basis just reinforces the fact there are people who support us and like us,” he said.

Since Hass gave away his first flag, requests from families and officers from within Colorado and across the country have skyrocketed. Even Officer Beesley’s family heard about Hass’s work and requested several flags for a silent auction last month.

“They asked if I was willing to donate a few flags for the silent auction, and that was something you can’t put into words,” Hass said. “It definitely brought a tear to my eyes.”

Others like the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office liked the wooden flags so much, they’ve turned Hass’s work of art into gifts for retiring deputies, Brown said.

“We had a tradition here of handing out plaques at the sheriff’s office for retirements,” he said, “and I wanted to turn these flags into the retirement gift we give deputies who retire from the sheriff’s office.”

Each flag takes several hours to complete from start to finish and could sell for upwards of $100, Hass said. Despite that, he says he will continue to make them for free until he runs out of supplies.

“I wish I could make one for every officer, but that’s not realistic,” Hass said.

Those who have received one of Hass’s flags say they signify a lot more than just a blue line or a flag; it’s support from a community member.

“It’s truly an honor that somebody would take their own personal time to create such a work of art,” Brown said. “It’s heartwarming and really strikes a chord with me.”

Despite Hass producing each flag for free as a kind gesture of thanks for family, friends, and now even strangers; he’s asking for each recipient or anyone who hears his story to be more kind and make a positive impact on the world.

“Life’s hard enough as is; let’s not make it harder,” Hass said. “Let’s all challenge ourselves to do something in the community. I mean we complain about everything, but what are you really doing? Are you getting out there in the community to make a difference? You know, that’s how change happens. You got to get out and it’s the simplest things, hold the door open for someone, smile, say hi. It could make the biggest difference in the world.”