PORTERDALE, Ga. — Approximately 150 kids kicked off their summer breaks from school at BC Crowell Park on Friday, May 26. Porterdale Police Department hosted its annual Community Kickball Event, which was the ninth straight year.
Porterdale Chief of Police Jason Cripps has hosted the event since he was promoted to Chief in 2014.
For this year, hot dogs were served, ice cream was enjoyed, music was played and, according to the promotional flier, there was “fun for everyone.”
There was some learning involved in the summer kickoff festivities, too.
Police cars, fire trucks and EMS ambulances were on site to give the kids an opportunity to learn about public safety.
Finally, all of the attendees enjoyed the main event by playing a game of kickball.
But Cripps’ favorite activity came when the water balloons were broken out.
“They try to get me every year,” Cripps said. “The kids try to drown me. What community, where a chief of police gets involved, and allows the kids to drench them with water balloons? They’re so comfortable with us and me — they’ve known me since they were little — they don’t mind getting me wet. They know they’re not going to get in trouble.
“That’s a connection that is priceless. You can’t pay for that.”
Police officers and elected officials volunteered to help as well as donations were made to assist in making this annual event possible, too.
The Community Kickball Event is just one of many things the Porterdale Police Department does for the Porterdale community.
It does a Halloween event in October and a Christmas parade every year, too.
Cripps remembers what it was like doing those activities when he was a kid, which is why he is so involved in continuing to hold these events for kids today.
“When I was a kid, there was a house that I always went to and it was always lit up; it always had scary music and good candy,” Cripps said. “I will never forget that experience. Never. I want to give that to these kids.”
But, more so than that, Cripps wants to invest as much as he can into the next generation.
“My kind of saying is, ‘The future of any organization, any community, any business is young people,” Cripps said. “So, if you could reach the young people of your business or your community and bridge that gap between leadership and the children and the officers, that’s the mission.”
