Kids and Cops annual basketball game at the Menominee Nation Arena

Boys and girls in sixth to twelfth grades will again join Oshkosh police officers for the Third Annual Kids and Cops Basketball Game. The charity game will be held on Saturday, March 10 from noon to 4 p.m., at the Menominee Nation Arena, 1212 S. Main St., Oshkosh.

The game is organized each year by Fit Oshkosh, a nonprofit racial justice organization, and the Oshkosh Police Department.  Boys and girls who would like to play must register by Wednesday, March 7, by filling out a form that can be found online at: https://form.jotform.com/80034586184155.

Oshkosh area youth and police officers will play a non-competitive basketball game. This year’s event also features a chat-back with the officers, free refreshments, t-shirts, medals and prizes for the youth participant.

The Kids and Cops Basketball Game was developed in 2015 by Fit Oshkosh, Inc., the Oshkosh Police Department and volunteers from the Oshkosh community as a positive event that can bring the community together. Additional sponsors this year include the Norden-Vanden Heuvel Charitable Giving Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, Crown Trophy, First Congregational Church Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Herd and Menominee Nation Arena.

“The game provides an opportunity for local law enforcement to have authentic interaction with community children from diverse backgrounds,” according to Tracey Robertson, Fit Oshkosh executive director. “There is a definite need for this type of positive engagement. It is our hope that this annual event will show our commitment to developing an inclusive community that supports our police officers.”

This game allows officers to interact with youth from varying backgrounds. “Their participation demonstrates that they are committed to making Oshkosh affirming and inclusive,” Robertson said. “On a larger scale, the willingness by the Oshkosh Police Department to ask its officers to participate is a bold statement about their commitment to making Oshkosh a place where everyone feels respected and welcomed.”

Additional sponsors of this year’s event include the Norden-Vanden Heuvel Charitable Giving Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, Crown Trophy, First Congregational Church Oshkosh, the Wisconsin Herd and Menominee Nation Arena.