MATAWAN–Coming together to avoid gutter balls and get a strike, members from the Matawan Police Department served as the co-hosts to its first “Bowl with a Cop” event.
“I decided to organize [the] ‘Bowl with a Cop’ event to allow special needs children to meet local police, fire and rescue squad members in a fun environment,” Event Chairperson and Officer Christine Heppel said.
Members of the Aberdeen Police Department, the Matawan PBA 179 and the Aberdeen PBA 163 also served as co-hosts on June 10 at the AMF Strathmore Lanes, which is located at 1061-G Rt. 34 in Aberdeen.
The officers in attendance had the pleasure of bowling with 48 special needs children. More than 20 officers participated in the bowling and they were assisted by local firefighters, as well as local emergency medical services (EMS) members, according to a prepared statement from the police department.
In addition to the Matawan and Aberdeen police departments, officers volunteered from the Hazlet, Linden, East Brunswick and Hillside police departments, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, according to a prepared statement from the Matawan Police Department.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office also was in attendance, offering enrollment in the Special Needs Registry, according to a prepared statement.
“The event was a huge success and plans are already in the works to make the 2019 ‘Bowl with a Cop’ bigger and better,” Heppel said.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
