The Vancouver Police Department and the Vancouver Fire Fighters’ Charitable Society invite you to the Battle of the Badges hockey game, taking place at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27th, at the Kerrisdale Arena in Vancouver. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $10 (adults) and $5 (youth 5-17), with all proceeds donated to the Vancouver Police Foundation Youth Athletic Programs and the Vancouver Firefighters’ Charitable Society Hockey Camp for Kids.

The evening will include family-friendly activities, live music, prizes, and police and fire demonstrations. Members of the Vancouver Police Canine Unit and Emergency Response Team will be there with the Armoured Rescue Vehicle. Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services will be there with fire trucks and the VFRS rescue dog.

This will be third time the VPD and VFRS will be battling it out on the ice. The VPD won in a shootout in 2010, and VFRS won in overtime in 2013.

Both teams are training hard, but none so hard as the team captains, VPD Team Captain Chief Constable Jim Chu and VFRS Team Captain Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Wilkinson.

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This year is the tie-breaker, and there can be only one victor.

History

The first Battle of the Badges hockey game was played in Burnaby as a kick-off to the 2009 World Police & Fire Games. The teams were combined Vancouver and Burnaby Fire Departments versus VPD, RCMP and Canadian Borders Services Agency. The event was a huge success and raised $9,000 for local charities.

The second game in 2010 was the VPD versus VFRS, and raised $16,000 to help a VFRS family provide comfort for their three-year-old son, Matthew Veuger, after he was diagnosed with Leigh’s disease, a terminal illness that affects the central nervous system. Sadly, Matthew has since lost his battle.

In 2013, the VPD and VFRS came together in a Battle of the Badges re-match as a wind-up to the Hockey Heroes summer camp. Although no funds were raised that year, the game was well attended and ignited the age-old friendly rivalry between the police and fire departments.

This year, both teams are excited to make the Battle of the Badges an annual event, which supports the community we live and work in.

For tickets and more information, please visit www.battleofthebadges.ca.