A combined team of CFA and MFB firefighters evened the score against Victoria Police on Sunday (18 November) winning the annual Battle of the Badges baseball match at Melbourne Baseball Centre in Altona.
This is the second year the event has been held, and while the VicPol Blue Knights took out the inaugural match, this year the fireys (The Blazers) fought back to win the five-inning game 6-3.
Run in partnership with professional baseball team The Melbourne Aces, the event raises money for domestic violence services. This year more than $4000 was raised for Laverton Community Integrated Services which supports women and children experiencing family violence.
CFA SSO David Abbey, one of the main drivers of the event, said it was great to come together with other agencies to raise awareness of such an important cause.
“Of course there’s a lot of friendly rivalry but the game provides us with the opportunity to engage with our communities to raise awareness of the need to end violence against women,” David said.
“It’s also about forming partnerships with other agencies. We all love our baseball and by training together and then playing against each other, we form a stronger bond than if we were to simply meet at an incident.”
The trophy for the game was made by Leading Firefighter Suzy Medwell and artist Alan Neale. EMV Deputy Chief and former Deputy Commissioner VicPol Andrew Crisp is the patron of the event.
The Blazers were supported by CFA’s Sport and Recreation Association as well as MFB’s firefighters charitable fund and sponsors: Bendigo Bank, Ausport Superstore Knox, Viva Global Apparel, Hooked On Bait and Tackle Hoppers Crossing, and Kriehn Transport Hoppers Crossing.
Photos by Melton brigade volunteer Blair Dellemijn, Uniform Photography