Imperial County Firefighters Association hosting Flag Football Tournament to benefit IHS football program
Local agencies will battle it out to take home the trophy
IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Imperial County Firefighters Association (ICFA) is hosting its 1st Public Safety Flag Football Tournament Saturday Mar. 16 starting at 9 a.m. all for a good cause.
ICFA invites all of Desert Southwest to come and support the local agencies participating, while also giving back to the community.
The tournament will be held at Imperial High School (IHS) and is in partnership with the school.
The admission fee is $5 and all proceeds earned that day will go back toward the football program.
The IHS boosters will be taking care of the funding.
The agencies participating include ICFA, El Centro Firefighters Association, Holtville Fire Dept., and U.S. Border Patrol.
Steven Monreal, Imperial County Fire Captain and ICFA member says this event has been a long work in progress that took multiple attempts of trying to get something going.
"We wanted to get together to do something that will make an impact for the local youth, the community that we serve," Monreal says. "So that gives us an opportunity to not only serve in the job that we do, but also to just invest in those who we serve and also come alongside them, hopefully get to know them on a better level and let them know we're here for them."
Monreal will be playing, as well as Imperial football coach David Shaw making a guest appearance on border patrol's team.
He says IHS was able to contact some of the local refs to help out on site, and some of the team's coaches will also be on the field officiating.
There will be food and raffles available as well.
"So there's plenty of opportunities for people that come and support to go home with a nice little prize," Monreal adds.
Monreal says the hope is to keep this tournament an annual event.
The champions will go home with a trophy for bragging rights, but will have to bring it back the following year to fight for it all over again.
"It's really nice to see what's happening. We all serve in a like minded capacity, so just seeing everybody come together to help another area that will impact the community, it's a really nice thing," Monreal describes.
He expresses his gratitude to everyone that has supported and helped this event come to fruition.
Once again, the 1st Public Safety Flag Football Tournament will be Saturday Mar. 16 with the games beginning at 9 a.m. at IHS.
Trophy presentation will take place at 4 p.m.
