Chris Hummel, President of the Weatherford Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association (WCPAAA) and his wife, Barbara, said this year’s 12th Annual Raffle Night and Casino games will be as entertaining as ever.
The event takes place every February at the Senior Center and offers a variety of casino-style games such as blackjack, craps, roulette, Bingo - even Texas Hold’em.“The economy may be tough, but numerous business people have stepped up to make this event possible by sponsoring tables, donating items and money to make the event possible,” Barbara said. “This year’s event will have many raffle items to choose from including Dallas Maverick tickets, a 50-inch television, an overnight stay at the Horseshoe Casino and many other items.”Funds from the event are used in accordance with the WCPAAA 501(c)3 non-profit status which supports the Weatherford Police Department (WPD).“You can expect to have fun and be well entertained and there is no need to have knowledge of the game,” Barbara added. “The dealers will take the time to teach you how to play.”Tickets for the event, which takes place on Feb. 16, are just $10 per person which includes $10,000 in “play money,” as well as a raffle ticket and a drink. She said advanced tickets and old cell phones earn extra raffle tickets and that you must be 18 to attend.Chris said the event is the biggest fundraiser his group does and that all of the funds raised go to assist the WPD with whatever need may arise.About WCPAAA“Nobody in our organization gets paid anything, all of our hours are volunteer hours,” Chris said. “And if the WPD needs something that might not be in their budget, or if they need something immediately and we have the funds available, we go and buy it.”He said the group’s service to the community isn’t about receiving a pat on the back, but giving back.“You’ve got to love what you do and who you do it for and we do,” Chris added. “[WPD] has our back and we’ve got theirs.”In 2010, WCPAAA saved the city more than $82,000 in volunteer hours and in 2011, more than $77,000.“Anyone can be a part of our organization as long as you are 21 or older,” Chris said. “To get in our group, you have to go through a background check making sure that individual has no felonies.”He said from there, it’s on to classes and that once completed, a six-month probationary period begins.“We have a real strong group, about 30, with 24 being pretty active,” he said. “The more people get involved - the more eyes and ears - the better it is.”Weatherford Police Chief Mike Manning said the WCPAAA is a group of citizens who provide many hours of their personal time in support of the Weatherford Police Department and the residents.“They are always ready to jump in when we need them for any task such as traffic control points, searching for missing persons and other crime-control activities,” Manning said. “The casino night is their main fundraiser of the year and all funds are used to help our officers by purchase of equipment, training we would not otherwise have regular budget money for and to provide other needs of the officers.“The casino night is a fun-filled night supported by many local businesses and private citizens.”For tickets or more information, www.weatherfordcitizenpolice.org.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
