By Caroline Young | cyoung1@flagler.edu
Photo courtesy Jennifer Wells
Video by Caroline Young and Michael Newberger
Music contributed by Waiting on Brian

PHOTO CAPTION: Ralph and Malik Hicks and Destiny Brooks stand with members of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

Boys and Girls Club board member Allen Bohl is one the masterminds behind the first “Local Heroes Basketball Battle.”
Members of St. Johns County Fire Rescue and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office went head to head on Nov. 14 in a basketball game at the Flagler Gymnasium to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club.

“The goals for today were to actually try and come up with a few thousand dollars and then just get more exposure for Boys and Girls Club,” Bohl, who also teaches in Flagler’s Sport Management department, said. “And to allow the firemen and police officers to show their support for the Boys and Girls Club.”

Megan Seery, Boys and Girls Club Public Relations and Marketing Manager, says the organization is in the middle of opening a new club and it will be using the money from the Local Heroes Basketball Battle for operating expenses. She said operating expenses includes necessities such as lights, food and club staff.

One of the ideas behind the Local Heroes Basketball Battle game is to help the children of the Boys and Girls Club to create healthy relationships with law enforcement officers.

“It is for our kids to be exposed to our civil servants in a positive light,” Seery said.

Both the fire and police departments are excited to mix sports with fundraising.

“We all love playing sports and it’s for a good cause,” said Jeremy Robshaw of the fire department.

Zach Cooke of the Sheriff’s Office said the department wants to try and get more involved with the kids in the community and to see what police officers are like out of their uniforms.

Boys and Girls Club member Malik Hicks, 10, played in the game.

“I am excited about the game and I want them to do it every year,” Hicks said.

Bohl hopes the Local Heroes Basketball Battle will turn into a yearly event.

The firefighters won the game 46-38.

“I just realize the Boys and Girls Club really needs to try and raise some money and it’s a great way to do it,” Bohl said. “It’s an annual event that we can run year after year and help raise annual operating dollars to help with the Boys and Girls Club.”

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