Lancaster police officers and firefighters are lacing up their sneakers today for the 4th Annual Battle of the Badges basketball game, a Sunday afternoon fundraiser at Ohio University Lancaster that doubles as a rematch in an increasingly competitive rivalry. Doors open at 2 pm with a first-responder equipment and vehicle display, and tip-off is set for 2:30 pm at the campus located at 1570 Granville Pike.
The event is organized by the Lancaster Public Education Foundation, which is putting on the game for the fourth straight year to raise money for classroom grants in Lancaster City Schools. According to the Lancaster Police Department, the game will feature a 50/50 raffle, a three-point shot prize, food and drink concessions, music, giveaways, and chances for attendees to meet the police officers and firefighters playing. Organizers are encouraging fans to wear blue or red to show their support, and the department noted that seating is limited, with tickets available online or at the door.
A Series Tied Up in Local Bragging Rights
This year's game carries some extra weight for the firefighters, who are looking to build on their first-ever win in the series. The foundation's event page shows police won the inaugural matchups in 2023 and 2024 before the fire department broke through with its first victory last year, leaving the police holding a 2-1 edge heading into today's rematch.
The rivalry has institutional roots as well as athletic ones. The foundation's event history notes that the first Battle of the Badges in 2023 was launched under the leadership of Lancaster Police Chief Nick Snyder and Fire Chief Steve Maffin, and that Chief Snyder has also served on the foundation's board of directors — an overlap that ties the department leading the series directly to the charity benefiting from it.
Tickets and Where the Money Goes
General admission tickets were priced at $10 for adults and $5 for children, according to the City of Lancaster's Community Hub, though online Eventbrite listings ranged from $7.18 to $12.51 once fees were included. The game drew backing from local businesses as well, with Schorr Architects and Wichert Insurance signing on as Platinum Plus sponsors and Park National Bank, Buckeye Toyota, Buckeye Honda, and Summit Construction listed among the Gold-level sponsors.
The foundation operates as a component fund under the Fairfield County Foundation, which serves as its fiscal sponsor and treasurer overseeing grant allocations. Since it was founded in June 2007, the Lancaster Public Education Foundation has awarded more than 230 grants totaling over $272,500 to support classrooms, teachers, and students in Lancaster City Schools.
Those grants have translated into tangible classroom tools. A Fall 2024 grant to Lancaster music teacher Courtney Cox, for example, funded 12 ukuleles, two gathering drums, and 11 xylophone mallet pairs for elementary and special education classrooms — a small but concrete example of how ticket sales and sponsorships from events like today's game eventually reach students.
Part of a Bigger Pattern of Badge-vs-Badge Fundraising
The basketball game is one of several recurring athletic fundraisers that bring Fairfield County's police, fire, and sheriff's agencies together for charity, alongside the Lancaster Police Department's D.A.R.E. golf fundraiser and multi-agency softball tournaments supporting the Harcum House Child Advocacy Center, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office. The format mirrors a national trend, with police-versus-fire charity games serving as trust-building, fundraising events for departments across the country — including the high-profile NYPD-FDNY matchup at Citi Field in New York City.
