Battle of the Badges benefits Make-A-Wish

(Above) Zach Hall, a member of the Clear Lake Police Department, competed for the law enforcement team during the annual Battle of the Badges.  -Photo courtesy of Tammy Orr.  Members of the Clear Lake Fire Department competed for the firefighters and EMS workers.  Pictured (L-R) are David Sims, Davin McLeod and Erik Myers.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

Local firefighters, EMS workers and law enforcement officials recently went head-to-head in the 8th Annual North Iowa Battle of the Badges, held on Saturday, March 17, at the North Iowa Ice Arena.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  This year’s bout netted over $45,000 for the charity.  The first year the event was held in 2011, teams raised approximately $14,750.  Over the years, the charitable event has raised over $200,000 to grant the wishes of children with severe medical conditions.

The event is not only made possible by the brave skaters that compete on the ice, but also the many local businesses and organizations that donate to the event.  Corporate Farmer of Mason City was generous and chipped in $100 for every goal scored.

After two years of being defeated, the law enforcement team defeated the firefighters and EMS workers, 4-1, to claim bragging rights for the year