CALABASAS : Police, Students Play Ball for Bomb Victims

Cops and kids caused a ruckus Friday at Viewpoint School in Calabasas, with grunts and groans and bodies flying to the floor. And when it was over they all shook hands.

The event was actually a charity basketball game between Lost Hills sheriff’s deputies and students, and the money will go to victims of last month’s bombing in Oklahoma City.

“I think everyone here was deeply disturbed about (the bombing),” said Echo Aoki, a 10th-grader who helped organize the game.

“Everyone was really sad because a lot of kids got hurt.”

The deputies, who were taller and heavier than their opponents, won 44-31. But it took a lot of sweat.

“The kids just go, go, go,” said Deputy Rob Knudson as he worked to catch his breath after the game. “We worried about just making it to the end of the game.”

Viewpoint School is a private institution on Mulholland Highway, enrolling 585 students from kindergarten to high school.

Lisa Olson, the school’s director of community services, said the event was expected to take in $100 to $200, which will be donated to the American Red Cross.

Along with helping the bombing victims, the game was a good way for cops and kids to get acquainted, said Nolan Reichl, a 10th-grader who came up with the idea.

“I think they are an important part of the community, and lately they have been getting some bad press,” said Nolan, who coached his school’s team. “They turned out to be really nice guys, and we really had a lot of fun.”

“It’s probably good for them to see us in a different light, instead of giving them tickets,” said Deputy Dennis Schwartz, who patrols Calabasas. “Now they see that we’re not just uniforms, that we’re human.”