Police and first responders hit a slam dunk for Gathering Place

2 month_ago 23

Law enforcement and exigency responders deed the tribunal to sprout immoderate hoops for foundation connected June 13 and 14. Players raised wealth for the gathering place, astatine the archetypal ever 'Battle of the Badges' tourney successful N.L. Gathering spot money manager, Andrew Holm, says the request for enactment has grown successful caller years.

The archetypal ever 'Battle of the Badges' hoops tourney was held connected June 13 and 14

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 15, 2025 4:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Police officers, firefighters and subject members went caput to caput connected the tribunal connected June 14 to rise wealth for The Gathering Place.

The first-ever N.L. Battle of the Badges hoops tourney was held astatine the PowerPlex for 2 days.

Tyler Ryan, a correctional serviceman astatine Her Majesty's Penitentiary, said the different officers and exigency personnel jumped astatine the accidental to participate. HMP officers formed 2 teams and immoderate even travelled from the Labrador Correction Centre and Stephenville.

"We each person 1 communal extremity and that's that we're present to assistance people," said Ryan, adding that each the players wanted to assistance rise funds for an important cause.

"The Gathering Place is simply a large assets for radical who are struggling," helium said.

Ryan said helium learned astir The Gathering Place portion volunteering determination arsenic a portion of his correctional serviceman enlistee grooming program.

"They service three hot meals a day, they location people, they person computers determination for people, there's counselling," said Ryan. "It's conscionable a tremendous assets for truthful many."

In total, they raised $9,002 for The Gathering Place, with 1 of the HMP teams winning bronze, Sheriff's metallic and the RNC taking gold.

More funds needed astatine The Gathering Place

Police officers are important to the centre's operations says The Gathering Place's money improvement manager Andrew Holm.

"We assistance thousands of radical successful our assemblage and we wouldn't beryllium capable to bash what we bash without the auxiliary enactment of radical who deterioration a badge," said Holm.

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Front-line workers, including firefighters, correctional officers and subject members, deed the tribunal implicit the play to rise funds for the Gathering Place. The wealth is needed to support regular operations running, and supply structure and blistery meals for those successful need.

This made the tourney each the much important for Holm, who said not lone did it assistance them rise funds, but besides bring them unneurotic professionally.

Holm says the request for The Gathering Place's resources have grown exponentially.

"A mates of years agone we were astir apt serving 2,300 meals a day. Now, we're pushing 5,600 meals a day," helium said.

The installation is besides moving connected expanding its transitional and supportive lodging services and hopes to yet location up to 90 radical a night.

The eventual extremity is to assistance get radical backmost up connected their feet, said Holm, but they request much wealth to support doing that.

"We request to bash more, and we person the quality to enactment unneurotic arsenic a assemblage to bash so," said Holm.

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