The brotherhood in blue is banding together to help one of its own. And it’s getting help from across the community.
The Rincon Police Department held a chili benefit lunch, complete with desserts and a raffle, for Cpl. Dennis Badger, a longtime Rincon Police officer who has battled cancer for several years.
“It’s all for a good cause,” said Tim Bowles, the city’s public works director. “Dennis is a great man. He is always there when we need him. You couldn’t ask for a better person.”
The all-you-could-eat chili lunch, held at the Rincon Lions Club building, is the first event planned to aid the Badger family. A charity motorcycle ride will be held Nov. 10 at the Rincon Lowe’s beginning at 10 a.m. Rincon Car Wash also plans to help out, with a $10 benefit car wash Wednesday from 7 p.m.-midnight, with 50 percent of the proceeds going toward the Badger family.
“We’re just doing what we can to support his family during this tough time,” said Rincon Police Cpl. Jose Ramirez. “Being a small department, we really feel like we’re family members. We know each other’s wives, kids, and we’ve just come real close. When this happens, we don’t expect that to happen to one of us. We’re always putting our lives on the line to help others, and you just don’t imagine something like this happening.”
The show of support for the department and one of its own left on impression on newly-minted chief Phillip Scholl. Chief Scholl has known Badger since 1998 and they have worked together off and on since then, including the last four years as members of the Rincon Police Department.
“We’ve got to come together as a community for our officers and our brothers and try to do everything we can for their families, the ones who were trying to make the ends meet,” Chief Scholl said. “There has been a lot of community support for this, and I think that’s a return we get for providing for the community. Dennis has been a big part of the community, whether it’s in Rincon or his hometown of Springfield. He’s given a lot to both communities.”
His fellow city employees aim to aid the Badger family as much as possible in a dire time.
“We hope this helps him and his family,” Bowles said. “I hope the community comes out and supports him the way we want to.”
For more information on the Nov. 10 ride, call Ramirez at 826-5200 or email jramirez@cityofrincon.com.
