DARLINGTON — The Darlington Police Department and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office combined efforts as the ‘Defenders’ against the Darlington School District teachers and staff, as both teams battled it out on the field to raise money for the D.A.R.E. program on Aug. 1, a cause that spoke to both teams’ hearts.
The Darlington community gathered just behind Piggly Wiggly. They were served brats and burgers by the Darlington Police Officers. The weather was practically perfect for a softball game, as temperatures were in the mid-70s.
An inflatable Dalmatian bounce house entertained the younger crowd as they had an opportunity to use up some energy just before the game.
Prior to the game, former Darlington Police Chief Jason King and his daughter, Madyson King, sang the National Anthem.
Preceding first pitch, the Optimist Club awarded King with the 2024 Respect for Law award. The honor highlighted his 30 years of service to the City of Darlington before moving on to SSM Health in Monroe as a Security Officer. During his time as Chief, King spent 20 years devoted to educating students through the D.A.R.E. program. King’s family gathered in the bleachers and everyone watched as Optimist Club representative Mary Jane Sturtz shook King’s hand over home plate on City Field in Riverside Park. Optimist Club representative Lori Garvey made the announcement for the crowd, who showed their support with a warm applause for the former chief. After photos were taken, it was time to play ball.
During the D.A.R.E. fundraiser game, Jerry Douglas was on the mic, keeping things lighthearted while announcing from the crow’s nest. In addition to naming the players and announcing scores and plays, Douglas switched things up a bit with the change-of-strategy plays for some of the innings. The kickball, backwards bases, tee-ball, and dizzy bat innings were among the most entertaining for the crowd as cheers and laughs were heard from the outdoor bleachers.
During the seventh-inning stretch, Nancy Winslow and Tina Reichers led the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” as the teams prepared to close-out the game.
The scorecard showed a victory for the ‘Defenders’, 17-11, over the ‘Educators’.
Playing for the Defenders was Darlington Police Chief Szvon Conway, former Chief King, Nick Mantsch, Neftali Gutierrez, and Jaxson Lamb from the Darlington Police Department. Paul Klang, Brandon Woods, and Luke Risser played on behalf of the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. Colt Woods represented the Belmont Police Department, and Ben Conway played on behalf of the Dodgeville Police Department.
The Educator Teachers team consisted of Will Schwartz, Molly Rice, Brad Solberg, Lee Black, Amanda Risser, Ashley McCarville, Mitch Austin, Kent Miehe, Alex Carey, Tanner Havens, and Molly Wiegel.
D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It’s an education program that aims to prevent the use of controlled drugs, membership in gangs, and violent behavior. The D.A.R.E. program was founded in 1983 as a strategy on the ‘War on Drugs’. Police officers visit elementary schools to educate students as a way to deter them from trying drugs. All money raised during the event go directly toward education materials in and around the area.
