Police, sheriff, firefighters, unions participate in Military Foundation tournament

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The only shots fired came from softballs soaring into the outfield on Aug. 16 as local public safety workers and union members competed in the Military Foundation’s annual fundraising tournament.

Members of the Kokomo Police Department, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Kokomo Fire Department, AFSCME Local 2185, and IBEW Local 873 lined up to compete on a muggy Saturday at Kokomo Municipal Stadium, and other than a pulled hamstring here and there, everyone happily raised funds for the organization.

Howard County has the largest number of military veterans, per capita, in the nation. The overwhelming majority of them thrive in the local community, and many of them continue to serve as police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and firefighters.

The softball tournament fundraiser, organized by the Military Foundation, Inc., was designed to help veterans who have fallen on hard times. According to the foundation’s vice president, Roy Phipps, the event is the main source of revenue for the organization. And every dollar raised is devoted to helping veterans.

“Our entire mission is to assist veterans from Howard, Miami, Tipton, and Cass counties who run into financial difficulties,” said Phipps. “This is our ninth year, and basically this is our one and only fundraiser.

“It's a free will donation for the public to attend; we have a fireman’s boot at the entrance. And we go around to businesses and individuals who possibly might contribute.”

While there was plenty of fun to be had on the field, the stadium concourse featured informational booths and silent auction items to further aid veterans through resources and fundraising.

Phipps explained that the foundation accepts applications from veterans in need. If they have been honorably discharged, a board member reviews the application and checks in with the applicant’s creditors. If the applicant clears the review, the board votes whether to assist.

The Military Foundation tries to keep individual assistance to $1,000 or less. Typical assistance is devoted to utility bills and housing costs, but each case is different, Phipps said.

“There have been times when we exceeded the limit,” said Phipps. “We had a situation in December where we actually reached out to the other military organizations to help us. We had a mother with three kids who were about to be evicted from their home. Between everybody, we got to keep them at home at Christmas, and they actually had a Christmas.”

After the opening ceremony at 9 a.m., the Kokomo Fire Department and Kokomo Police Department faced off on the field. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office and the Military Foundation played next. Unfortunately, Mother Nature thought the event was a perfect time to put on a show of her own. Lightning brought a long delay to the tournament.

Regardless of the eventual outcome on the field, the important result was funding in the Military Foundation coffer.

See additional photos from this event, courtesy of Adam Hartsough, on the Lantern’s Facebook page or group.