By Marshall Tempest
Reporter
Apopka’s first responders will face off in a charity basketball game later this month to finally answer the age-old question: Who’s better—firemen or police officers? The event is put on by the Dreams of Joy Foundation to raise money to fulfill the final wishes of individuals with terminal illnesses.
The charity match will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, at Joe A. Sterling Gymnasium at Apopka High School. The event is open to the public, and tickets are $5 a person, with children 5 years old and under free. You can buy tickets at the gate or online.
Mindy Bess founded the Dreams of Joy Foundation after her father James Bess, an Apopka area resident, died in 2002 from Glioblastoma-Multiforme, a type of brain tumor. At the time of his diagnosis, her father was given six months to live, and he wanted to meet his favorite musician, Garth Brooks, before he died. The problem for Bess was that without connections and resources, she was unable to connect her father with his idol in time.
Now, the Dreams of Joy Foundation exists to help provide to others what she could not do for her father. The organization hosts fundraisers and events, such as the charity basketball game, throughout the year to raise money for the dreams of those with terminal illnesses. Since 2017, the nonprofit has granted 47 wishes.
“Although this tournament benefits the Dreams of Joy Foundation, it is our honor and privilege to work with first responders from the city of Apopka to put on a competitive and fun-filled event for the entire family,” Mindy Bess said.
This will be the third matchup between the Apopka Fire Department and the Apopka Police Department. In the first year of the charity basketball event, the Apopka Police Department (APD) took the win. Last year, the Apopka Fire Department (AFD) came out on top. Now it all comes down to the third game of the series, for which Apopka first responders will take home all the marbles.
“Hands down, it’s going to be the fire department by far,” said Lieutenant Jarred Bess of the AFD. “We’re some studs out there on the court, and we’re certainly going to put together a better team this year. I mean, obviously, I’ve got to say it, right? AFD is going to win. We have the better athletes for sure.”
Lieutenant Bess is the brother of Mindy Bess, the founder of Dreams of Joy. He said the idea for the charity basketball game originated from him and his sister discussing Apopka’s love of sports. Bess’s sister had been organizing charity basketball games and other events in Nashville, where she resides, and had been experiencing great success. She asked him if he thought it would work out in Apopka. Lieutenant Bess said of course.
The first year was a huge success, and the event has been growing ever since. The community, first responders, and even city commissioners all wanted to be a part of the next one.
“And then even as our own police officers and firefighters saw this event, they were like, ‘Oh, shoot. This is, this is something great that we want to be a part of,’” said Lieutenant Bess. “And so, it has not only brought the community together, but us as first responders together, police and fire.”
Lieutenant Bess said that behind all the smack talk between departments and jokes, there is an underlying respect and admiration. He said the event is amazing for two reasons: one is that it’s for a great cause, and the other is that the departments get to work together, train together, and create tighter bonds.
This year, the teams are preparing differently by working out together, rather than separately as individual departments. The teams have been mixed up to promote competitiveness and, more importantly, camaraderie.
“There is a competitive nature across the board,” Bess said. “We’re the smoke eaters, the hose draggers, and they’re the police officers, right? You know, they’re the donut-eating guys. We always mess around with one another… so not only do you have that competitive nature, but it also brings both groups together to just create that closer bond, and that sense of camaraderie between police and fire. Which is a great bond to have.”
Apopka Police Chief Mike McKinley had similar things to say about the event’s importance, not only for the cause but for the community. McKinley noted that, of course, each department wants to win bragging rights, but the most essential part of the event is the fundraising and community outreach.
“It’s more about raising money for a good cause and giving people the opportunity to fulfill their wishes and their dreams through the Dreams of Joy Foundation,” McKinley said. “It’s just a friendly rivalry. We would all would like to win, but at the end of the day, it’s all about us just giving back to the community.”
McKinley went on to say that a huge part of the charity match is the ability for Apopka citizens to see first responders in a new light.
“It gives us the opportunity to show our community that we’re more than just police officers or firefighters,” he said. “We’re part of this community. We give back to the community, and we are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and everything else.”
