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Community Corner

Charity Basketball Game Pits Police Against Firefighters

Annual Helmets vs. Shields game Saturday at Pierce College raises money for charity organizations—and gets public-safety workers out into the community.

They battle flames. They battle crime, and on Saturday evening, they will battle each other.

Members of the and will take to the hardwood at for the seventh annual Helmets vs. Shields charity basketball game. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. at the school’s gym, 9410 Farwest Drive Southwest.

The money raised will be split between the firefighters’ Life Safety Charity and the Lakewood Officers’ Charity’s Make a Difference Fund. Admission is $5; children younger than 5 are free. The first 300 fans will receive free rally towels — 150 blue ones for the police and 150 red for the firefighters.

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The game has a corporate sponsor, for the first time.

“It’s Forza Helmets versus Shields,” said Lakewood Police Sgt. John Unfred, treasurer of the Lakewood Officers’ Charity and one of the game’s organizers.

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So they have clearly hit the big time?

“Yep,” he said with a laugh. “We’ve got naming rights.”  

Unfred said that the event is eagerly anticipated every year because it gets the officers and firefighters out into the community in a different way. The police team will have eight players; the fire district, nine. Some of the civic volunteers have been playing in the event for years.

“It’s just getting the (work) uniforms off and getting the basketball uniforms on and having fun,” he said. “A lot of charity events, it’s boring, but these games are exciting. It’s a little rivalry — it’s all good-natured — but it gets exciting, and it gets loud.”

West Pierce Capt. Jenny Sharp, the fire department organizer, agreed.

“This is a great event because we are able to get the community involved,” she said. “We are their local fire and police departments, and they get to be involved as much as we are. The kids have a great time; the players have a great time; the off-duty guys have a great time.”

The police department snapped a 5-0 series skid this past year. Sharp added that her team intends to make it 6-1 this year.

“We’re hoping,” she said. “We want to win that trophy back.”

Most importantly, both sides said, the money raised goes back into the community through their charity funds.

Game T-shirts will be sold for $15 and there will be a silent auction and raffle of items worth about $5,100. They include a LoJack car anti-theft system; a complete driving course through 911 Driving School; ride-alongs with the police and fire department; an hour on the police department’s video-firearms simulator; and sports memorabilia and tickets from local teams. The auction begins at 5:45 p.m.

Unfred praised local businesses and organizations for donating all of the items, as well as making monetary contributions. They have already surpassed the $7,500 raised last year.

“This is our big fundraiser,” he said, “and every year, it has grown.”

Also new this year is a youth basketball clinic at the gym from 1 to 5 p.m. Participants ages 7 to 12 will get to play with police, firefighters and members of the Pierce College men's basketball team. The $50 cost includes ticket to Saturday night’s game, T-shirt and team photo that will be e-mailed to them later. There are still spots open, and registration can be completed at the door.

Scholarships through the will make it possible for some kids to attend the skills clinic.

There will also be a halftime presentation during the game honoring the state champion and boys basketball teams.

“There’s a lot going on,” Unfred said. “It’s more than just a basketball game.”

Sharp said that a record 500 people turned out in 2010 and that she hopes the number will be even higher this year. They hope to pack the gym's 1,000-seat capacity.

The police department’s roster could be completely different next year, Unfred joked. In addition to West Pierce having more bodies, the police officers are  “getting older — I don’t know how much longer they’re going to last.”

“We’ve got to hire some new blood,” he said. “Hopefully someone who played college basketball.”

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