UPDATE WITH SCORE: Big Brothers Big Sisters gets $1100

UPDATE: Guns won over Axes 45-40 on Saturday, but the kids all won as $1100 was raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Below is a feature from Judd Weil on the game...

BY JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Police Department (HPD) and Hutchinson Fire Department (HFD) will show how a little friendly rivalry can do Big things on Saturday, Feb. 25, when they play each other in a fundraiser basketball game to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County.  

Billed as the first annual Guns-N-Axes benefit basketball game, it started with the Fraternal Order of Police, which Det. Jessica Kelly is part of.  

“Me and a few other members decided to try and do something fun to get the community out and we just came up with the idea of hosting a basketball game and working with the fire department, which we usually work closely with anyways,” Kelly said.  “We first came up with the idea of the basketball game and then decided an organization to donate half of the proceeds to. We have several officers that are Bigs in Blue and somebody suggested that we donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, and everyone thought that was a good cause.”  

The other half of the proceeds will stay with the Fraternal Order of Police to cover costs of the event.  

“We are very happy to be the recipient,” Jo Mora, Area Manager of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, said. “We happen to have a number of what we call Bigs in Blue, some of our Bigs are from the police department, so we were a natural organization for them to reach out to, I think.” 

Mora said the funds raised from the benefit basketball game will be used to support Big Brothers Big Sisters match specialists.  

A match specialist helps pair and support Bigs and their Littles in the program by helping them navigate their relationship and what they can do in their community together.  

“We really appreciate the community support because it really takes the entire community to support these matches,” Mora said. “The volunteers, those Bigs, they can only do so much but without local businesses giving them discounts and without everybody being open to our program and helping us out, it wouldn't be able to happen or it happened on a much smaller scale.”  

The relationship between a Big in Blue and a Little is valuable.  

“As far as having our Bigs in Blue, that means everything to our kiddos,” Mora said. “They just adore them.”  

As a Big in Blue playing in this benefit basketball game for Big Brothers Big Sisters of County means a lot to HPD officer Brayden Stewart.  

“It means a lot. Big Brothers Big Sisters is enjoyable because you get paired up with a kid and you're able to interact with them and get to know and vice versa,” Stewart said. “I think it's cool to have that relationship and get to know them. You just have an impact on their life and and then having an impact on yours as well.” 

Officer Stewart enjoys going to his Little’s school and sitting in class with them, as well as playing with them at recess.  

The Guns-N-Axes benefit basketball game will be held at 1 p.m. in the north gym of Hutchinson High School at 810 E. 13th Avenue in Hutchinson.  

Entry is by donation and there will be refreshments.  

At halftime, people will have the opportunity to pay a dollar to shoot a free throw at halftime to win a bottle of soda. 

The first 100 people who attend the game will get to choose either a red or blue rally towel to support whichever department they want to. There are 50 red and 50 blue towels.

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