MANCHESTER, N.H. —
Around 5,000 fans packed SNHU Arena on Sunday for the 18th annual Battle of the Badges Hockey Championship.
The game features a competitive rivalry between police and fire departments from across New Hampshire.
Each player who participated in the hockey game had to raise $1,500 to take part.
This year, the event raised $285,000, the largest single-day total in the event’s 18-year history. Since 2008, the event has raised $3.8 million.
“Our hero’s, those Team Police and Team Fire who are raising funds for all the important services and the kids at Dartmouth Health Children’s and CHaD, but also they’re the ones who are the first responders often when the kids are injured or sick,” said Keith Loud, Dartmouth Health Children’s physicians and chief.
All of the money raised will go to Dartmouth Health Children’s and the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
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Keir Raven, a 13-year-old who has been a patient at CHaD for two heart surgeries, said he’s excited about what the money raised can do.
“It’s kind of great because I go to Dartmouth-Hitchcock, but also the kids who also go can also get the treatment that I got,” Raven said.
The money will also help families like the Lees, whose son Wyatt was diagnosed with leukemia.
“So we’ve lived, basically through the Dartmouth system for the last, better half of three years with Wyatt going through everything,” said Tucker Lee, Wyatt’s father. “So, events like this really kind of help fund the support that we needed throughout our journey with it.”
Fans who attended the game said it has become a tradition to sit in the stands.
“My husband’s a police officer, so we come in support for Team Police. Probably for the last ten years, we’ve been coming to this game,” said Meghan Stone, a fan for Team Police. “It’s one of our favorites.”
Team Police reclaimed the victory over Team Fire, winning 4-2.