More than $1,000 raised at Guns and Hoses event

No sirens were heard. There were no injured people, laws broken or fires to put out. But members of the Maricopa Public Safety Department were out in full force at Pacana Park this weekend.

The second annual Guns and Hoses tournament was held on Saturday, March 27. The event raised more than $1,000 for scholarships to benefit two Maricopa High School seniors interested in pursuing a career in public service as a firefighter, police officer or paramedic. Two fire department teams, one police team and one civilian team competed in the all-day round-robin-style softball tournament.

”I am appreciative of our public safety members coming together for the purpose of giving back to our community, specifically our youth in the form of a college scholarship,” said Patrick Melvin, the city’s director of public safety. “I also appreciate the donations and contributions of community members who assisted in our endeavor. We have already begun discussions on future possible events.“

The fire department’s team took home this year’s trophy, but all teams enjoyed a fun afternoon and helped make this event a success for the future of the community, said Maricopa Fire spokesman Brad Pitassi.

The money was raised through individual entry fees, t-shirt sales and a raffle, which included autographed items donated by the NBA Phoenix Suns. Local restaurant, Tacos and More, provided the food and also donated a portion of the food profits made at the event to the scholarship fund.

The scholarships will be presented to the award recipients in May.

Pitassi recognized many people and organizations that were instrumental in the planning and execution of this event, but expressed a special thanks to Monica Rubio and Shannon Hull for their time and energy to make the event a success.

Photos by Rebecca Molus