The Selma Fire Department is hosting a basketball game it hopes will bring the communities of two cities closer together.

The Selma Fire Department will play the Montgomery Police Department in basketball Saturday, Feb. 18 at Ellwood Christian Academy at 1 p.m.

Captain James Murphy with the Selma Fire Department said the game is aimed at creating a bond between the two cities.

“Selma and Montgomery are trying to get together to have some camaraderie between the different cities and have different games going on,” Murphy said. “The next time we play them, we’ll go to Montgomery. We’re commuting back and forth to build a little camaraderie between the two cities and give some entertainment for the kids to come out and watch us play.”

Admission to the game is $1.

Murphy said one of the main purposes of the game is to get children in the community out to see positive role models.

“It’s good to get the kids to come out,” Murphy said. “A lot of kids look up to policemen and firemen. This gives the kids a chance to come out and actually mingle with us. We try to interact with the kids and show them positive role models, so the more they see us being positive within the city, the more they want to grow up and do the same thing.”

Selma firefighter Daron Waters said he enjoys participating in the game and agreed that it’s good to set a positive example for children.

“It feels excellent because I have younger siblings and they look up to me and I expect them to look up to me and do the right thing so that they can be the best they can be in life,” Waters said. “That in turn helps the kids out in Selma. We’re just trying to be a good example for the kids.”