BRISTOL, Tenn. – Four-year-old Brady Scardo wore his red future-fireman T-shirt to a basketball game at Viking Hall on Friday.
“Uncle Josh! Uncle Josh!” he chanted, pointing to number 0 on the Bristol Virginia firefighter’s team. “He made one shot,” Brady said, stretching out his little right index finger as evidence that his uncle played a good game.
The fire and police departments on either side of town squared off Friday night – firefighters first, police officers second – during the ninth annual Hero’s Ball, a charity ball game to benefit the Haven of Rest rescue mission.
While coaches from both sides of town each pledged the wipe the floor with the other team, Bristol Virginia, the reigning champs from 2009, proved victorious again in both games.
“It’s all for the bragging rights,” the Bristol Virginia Police Department team’s coach, Lt. John Austin, said before their game. “Whoever wins gets to brag about it for a whole year. It’s competitive, but after it’s all over and done with, everybody’s friends. But of course we still joke and tease them.”
Spectators were asked to donate $3 upon entry to benefit Haven of Rest.
The rescue mission operates on a $700,000 annual budget, its executive director, Wayne Sheridan said at the game. This year, because of bad weather and a bad economy, they’ve seen a 20 percent increase in the number of beds they fill each night, and the number of food boxes and meals they serve.
Sheridan said every little bit helps.
“We don’t think of anything as a drop in the bucket,” he said. “Tonight we’ll raise a couple thousand dollars at least, maybe more. And that’s not insignificant.”
The annual tradition began after Sept. 11, to honor Bristol’s firefighters as heroes. The police department signed on a few years later.
“It’s really to honor our local heroes,” Sheridan said. “They’re much better at being firemen and policemen than they are basketball players.”
The Bristol Tennessee Fire Department put up a good fight, but lost 33 to 32.
Before the police departments took to the floor, Bristol Tennessee’s coach, Capt. Matt Austin, had high hopes.
“They took the trophy away from us last year,” he said. “But we’re gonna bring it back to where it’s supposed to be. We’re gonna bring it back to Tennessee.”
He was wrong. The Bristol Virginia Police Department won 37 to 34.
Both games were played in six-minute quarters, instead of the typical eight minutes that high schoolers endure, Sheridan said, chuckling, and for very good reason.
“Otherwise, we would have to have the rescue squad here, too.”
cgalofaro@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531
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