Selma police, fire departments give back through basketball game
Published 10:18 pm Monday, November 19, 2012
Captain James Murphy with the Selma Fire Department, right, tries to get past the Selma Police Department’s Robert Tyus during a charity game at Meadowview Christian School on Monday. -- Robert Hudson
As the Selma Police Department and the Selma Fire Department gathered at Meadowview Christian School, they weren’t there for an emergency.
The two departments were there in fact to play a game of basketball that served as a way to give back to the community.
The two departments took in canned goods and donations for those in need during their annual basketball game on Monday.
Detective Dorothy Cowan, director of the Police Athletic League, said the goods collected during the game will go to the Salvation Army and to those in need, and the event is a good way to give back.
“This is the annual event that we have. We want the public to know that we’re out there to help them and protect them and all that, but we also want to give back,” Cowan said. “This is just a good way to give back. This is the time for giving and we’re out here to give back.”
Captain James Murphy with the Selma Fire Department said the game is also a good way to interact with the community in a positive way along with giving back.
“It’s basically to get the community to come out and mingle with firemen and policemen,” Murphy said. “We’re also just trying to help gather canned goods for Thanksgiving for the needy people out there. We’re trying to keep this a yearly thing.”
And while the scoreboard showed the game ending in a 67-67 tie, thanks to a little playful manipulation on the behalf of the police department, it was all fun and games as both sides put on a show for the community members in attendance.
The two teams were tied late in the final period at 51-51, until Terrence Vinter hit a shot in the lane to put the fire deparment ahead at 53-51.
The fire department pushed its lead to 62-53 with the help of a dunk by Daron Waters, but the police department cut it to 62-56 thanks to a Chris Roper 3-pointer with 2:21 left to play.
Murphy answered back with a 3-pointer of his own to make it 65-56.
The fire department pushed its lead to 67-58 before John Taccon hit a jumper for the police department with 24 seconds left that officially put the final at 67-60.
