Battle of the Badges preview

Posted on: Staff Writer

From edition: January 25 2019 Strathmore Times

By Brady Grove, Times Reporter

The Strathmore RCMP and Strathmore Fire Department will square off in the Battle of the Badges hockey game to connect with the community and help raise money for two local charities.
The puck drops at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Strathmore Family Centre. The friendly competition is about the community and coming together.
“We thought it would be a good way to give back to the community and to try and bring a positive light to the two departments and show how we can work as a team,” said Strathmore Fire Department lieutenant Dave Ramsay. “A lot of times when we’re there it’s people’s worst nightmare happening.”
Both groups are feeling confident in their hockey abilities and believe they will win the game.
“We’re feeling good, we’ve been practicing lots. I think we’re going to do okay, but I think they think they’re going to do okay, too,” said Ramsay with a chuckle.
There is a special relationship between the RCMP and the fire department. The two groups work very closely together on a wide variety of situations, and municipal employee watch clerk from Team RCMP, Moira Powell, acknowledged there is always a friendly bit of competition between the two organizations.
The idea for this game came from other communities that have hosted their own Battle of the Badges games over the years. This will be the first time the event has been held in Strathmore. Both groups are looking forward to connecting with the community and showing another side to their organizations.
“Usually when you’re involved with the police it’s not a great experience,” said Powell. “It’s nice to see the members (RCMP and fire) in a different light.”
The entrance fee to the game is a cash donation to the two local charities selected this year: the Hub (Strathmore Youth Club) and Wheatland County Food Bank are the two organizations that will be receiving money raised from the Battle of the Badges game.
For more information, visit the Battle of the Badges Strathmore Facebook page, @botbstrathmore.