The Douglass Community Association (DCA) has teamed up with the Black Police Officers’ Association of Kalamazoo County (BPOA) to host our 6^th annual charity softball game titled “Kalamazoo’s Finest Softball Game.”  The event will be held on Friday, June17, 2011 at Mayor’s River Front Park, Homer Stryker Field, starting at 6:30pm.

The game will feature Kalamazoo area Finest Public Safety Officers against a group of Kalamazoo’s Finest Athletes. The athletes’ team will include Chris Crawford (Atlanta Hawks), Steve Hawkins, Bill Cubit & Robin Hook (WMU), and four former and current NFL players, Duane Young, T.J. Duckett, Littlejohn Flowers, and 2011 Super Bowl Champion Greg Jennings.

This event will include a mascot game, silent auction and double as a resource fair with display booths from area youth-serving agencies that will distribute information about summer activities.

This event will also include a special tribute to fallen Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Eric Zapata, who played in all of the previous “Kalamazoo Finest” games.   Tickets are just $5, however; all police, fire, and emergency services personnel in uniform will be admitted free of charge.  We also invite all off duty emergency personnel and their families to participate in the on field memorial by pre-ordering a t-shirt at 343-6187.  A portion of t-shirt sales will be donated to the Cuff & Ladder Funds for the Zapata family. 

Proceeds from this event benefit DCA’s youth programs. Since 1919 DCA has worked to address and resolve community issues while enhancing the quality of life for Kalamazoo residents.

 By authority of: Captain Victor Ledbetter