Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter
On July 11, Merrill Police Chief Corey Bennett was joined by officers Kurt Perra and Mark Heckendorf (School Resource Officer) at Larson Lake for the 3rd annual “CopsNBobbers” event. The three were joined by 20 local youngsters and members of the Merrill Parks & Recreation summer program.
“We had some unexpected help and extremely generous donations for the event,” Bennett said. “A special thanks to retired Tomahawk PD Larry Bromberek and Dick Busha of Little Lakes Memories for helping out. Little Lakes Memories donated a rod for each participant! Of course we owe a thank you to Merrill Park and Rec Department and the Cop’s N Kids Foundation, as well as all of our local sponsors! What a great day!”
As Bennett alluded to, events such as CopsNBobbers, BadgesNBullseyes and GutterBusters are various events the department participates in throughout the year; funded by Sussex, Wis.-based Cops’N’ Kids Foundation.
According to the foundation: “The programs are designed to encourage positive interactions between law enforcement and the community, specifically children. These programs allow cops and kids to have fun together while teaching them positive alternatives to committing crimes.”
