The first Raiders vs. Mounties charity basketball game saw a great return for donations, says School Resource Officer Cst. Michael Hagel.
Last week saw a friendly basketball game between the Holy Rosary Raiders senior boys basketball team and members of the Lloydminster RCMP detachment.
The public was invited to watch the game for the price of a food bank donation. The Raiders came out on top, but Cst. Hagel says it was all in good fun.
“They are a fantastic basketball team. They played hard in the beginning, then they could see we weren’t really much of a match for them and kind of slowed down. It became a lot more fun for them and us,” says Hagel.
On top of raising donations for a good cause, the game was also meant to improve the relationships between students and the RCMP. Hagel organized the match and says it’s a great step for the Holy Rosary community.
“It’s a very small, tight-knit community. It’s good to see that the police officers in Lloydminster are human beings, we’re not faceless robots that some people might think. We’re humans and we like to have fun.”
Between periods of the game shooting and skills competitions were held to showcase some of the talents on the court.
Raiders basketball coach Luke Kuypers agrees that this interaction between students and police is a positive step that he hopes to build on.
“It was an awesome event for a great cause, and I think everyone had a great time. I look forward to continuing it going forward and hoping it goes each year,” says Kuypers.
Kuypers adds that should these games continue he may include the senior girls team as well.