Cops take on firefighters for charity

GLENDALE — Glendale police and firefighters will trade their badges and ladders for a basketball this Saturday, when they’re scheduled to go head-to-head during a charity game to benefit a program for at-risk youths.

Officers and firefighters will show off their skills in a friendly basketball game at the Glendale High School gym during Salvation Army Glendale’s “Hoop Heroes: Giving Hope to Kids in Need” event.

“We just hope we raise a lot of money,” Glendale Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said.

The inaugural game was created to raise funds for the Zone Academy, the Salvation Army’s after-school program, which provides tutoring services to kids between 8 to 14.

During the academy, kids have access to computers and get help from tutors with homework and reading.

The game’s organizers also are hoping to receive canned food donations to fill up Salvation Army’s food pantry, which they said is dangerously close to running out of supplies.

The pantry provides canned food and other non-perishable food items to between 900 and 1,200 people in Glendale each month, said Rio Ray, captain of the Salvation Army Glendale Corps.

Another 500 cases of food are donated to families in need, he added. The organization also delivers 1,000 meals each month to residents.

Eight families also are housed in two facilities operated by the nonprofit.

Organizers are hoping about 500 people will attend the game, which will include a raffle and auction for a Los Angeles Lakers jersey autographed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“We hope we can make it a continuing event,” Ray said.

FYI

What: Hoop Heroes: Giving Hope to Kids in Need basketball game

Where: Glendale High School, 1440 E. Broadway

When: from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday

Contact: Tickets costs $5. Ticket purchasers should also bring a canned food item. Food and T-shirts will be on sale at the event. For more details, call Salvation Army at (818) 246-5588.