The Evanston Fire Department and University Police hit the diamond Tuesday to battle for the Golden Gatorade Trophy in their second annual kickball game hosted by Northwestern’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The gold-painted cooler stayed with the fire department, which used a three-run second inning to lift them to the 6-2 victory.
“We had a lot of fun and that was one of the purposes,” SAAC president and junior men’s soccer goalie Jonathan Harris said. “The other purpose is to celebrate what the fire department does for Evanston and what the NU police department does for Northwestern. It was our way to celebrate as student-athletes and give back to them for all they do.”
The game featured a student-athlete from each of NU’s 19 athletic teams split between the two squads, which were led by softball coach Kate Drohan and baseball coach Paul Stevens. In addition, five members of the fire department and four members of the police department participated.
“This is great for our department,” UP Lt. Ken Jones said. “It’s kind of nice for the students to see us out of uniform and it gives us the chance to participate in an event like this with the students. Everybody really appreciates this.”
Firefighter and paramedic Damian Bazan said participation from the fire department was up this year. In addition to the five firefighters who participated in the game, five or six others showed up in support of their brethren before leaving to attend to an emergency.
Sharon J. Drysdale Field was at nearly half capacity with student-athletes who came out to support their friends and help honor the fire and police departments. NU athletic director Jim Phillips also made an appearance at the game.
“It just shows a great appreciation for what police and fire do every day, ” Jones said. “It is an honor for them to go through this just to show an appreciation for what we do and we really appreciate it.”
Despite the score, Bazan and Jones agreed the kickball match-up was a rewarding experience for both departments.
“For the most part it brought the whole community together,” Jones said, “and that’s what it is – It’s a community. This is what it’s all about and I’m looking forward to it next year.”
