OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Sunday was the annual Omaha Guns & Hoses Challenge at Baxter Arena where local police officers and firefighters competed on the ice as team red and team blue for the First Responders Foundation.
3 news now Photojournalist Clayton Kush was at the event and brought us the highlights as first responders from several departments took the ice.
"Anytime someone calls 911 it's usually a bad day for the people we're interacting with. It's important for us to get together with them in a positive atmosphere and enjoy them as human beings,” said Omaha Police Sgt. James Shade. “It's a way to raise money and help us with mental health and physical needs that we have."
The First Responders Foundation exists to honor, support and care for the overall well-being of first responders, veterans and their families.
"We primarily work with behavioral health and mental health issues for first responders and their families and physical health. They can't go to just anyone," said the President of the First Responders Foundation, Todd Sears. “Our therapists are culturally competent. That means that they have to be first responders. They need to understand the unique stresses that first responders go through.”
The event had lots of fun on and off the ice. There was a Kid's Zone with first responder special guests Delta the Arson Dog and the bomb robot. First responder vehicles, K9s from the JAVELAN program, raffles and more were also at the event.
"It's just awesome to get together with brothers and sisters in blue and red and enjoy the comradery,” said Shade.
"The importance of bringing our first responders together and showing our community that they're on the front lines every day,” said Sears. “We appreciate what they do."
And although team red and team blue duked it out on the ice to take the Challenge Trophy.
One special moment during the first intermission brought the two sides together.
Ryan Cyboron, a firefighter with the Grand Island Fire Department proposed to Karlye Fultz, a recruit who is about to graduate with the Council Bluffs Police Department and she said yes!!
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