NMSU charity flag football game to benefit fallen Hatch officer
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State football team and local law enforcement personnel are partnering together for a flag football charity event onFriday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. Funds raised will be donated to the Officer Jose Ismael Chavez Memorial Fund.
The event, which is free to the public, will be held in Aggie Memorial Stadium. Donations for the cause will be accepted.
Officer Chavez was killed in the line of duty onAugust 12. He was a New Mexico State student majoring in criminal justice.
“This is a great way to come together with several different arms of law enforcement to thank them for serving us as a community,” said Director of Athletics Mario Moccia. “In addition, the donations at the game will serve a tremendous cause. I encourage all Aggie fans to come out and support this event as they watch some competitive and fun flag football.”
“My youngest son, Robert, is a deputy sheriff for Dona Ana County. This gives me a great perspective about what these people do and how hard it is, so we want to show them our appreciation,” said NM State football head coach Doug Martin. “I think it is important for our players to see that these officers are good people, just like they are. Then we can work together to make the community a better place.”
Teams will be made up of members from the NM State football team, the Las Cruces Police Department, the New Mexico State University Police Department, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Department, the Mesilla Marshal’s Department and the Dona Ana County Fire Department.
“The concept for the Aggie Badge Bowl came from my friend and current head football coach Tom Matukewicz at Southeast Missouri State University,” said Moccia. “Many of us in the athletic department have personal friends and family in the Las Cruces Police Department, NMSUPD and the Dona Ana Sherriff’s office, including former student-athletes like Jamar Cotton, who played from 2006-09.”
Deputy Cotton, the Dona Ana County Sheriff Office’s Crime Prevention/Community Outreach Officer, played for the Aggies from 2006-09. Cotton racked up 118 tackles over 39 games and was Academic All-WAC for his final three years in Crimson and White.
“I think it’s important to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community,” said Deputy Cotton. “It’s all about working together and teamwork. Police officers can’t be successful if we don’t have the trust and the respect of our communities and vice versa. Communities depend on us and we depend on them as well. It’s a team effort, and events like this allow us to come together for a good cause and try to bridge some of that gap and some of that negativity that social media puts between law enforcement and communities. We want to show that the majority of us are positive and look to aid and assist our community and not hurt our community.”
“We believe that with events like this, our community and students can come out to get to know who we are and know that we are here to grow with them,” said Sergeant Bobby Jaramillo of the LCPD.
