Volunteers serve up food at a Woodland fundraiser benefiting the families of slain police officers who died in the July shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge as part of the three-day “Kings for Cops” fishing event Sept. 13.
WOODLAND — Horseshoe Lake Park was packed Sept. 13 in a law enforcement appreciation event tied in with a three-day fishing expedition featuring officers from across the country, including Dallas and Baton Rouge.
“Kings for Cops” featured more than 150 officers, local, regional and national, going out to fish alongside guides on the Columbia River. After fishing during the day, in the evening fundraisers to help benefit the families of those affected by shootings of officers in Texas and Louisiana were hosted in coordination with local restaurant owners in Ridgefield and Woodland along with help of countless other volunteers and others donating to the cause.
The dinner in Woodland was coordinated chiefly by America’s Family Diner owner Nate Chumley, who extended thanks to Lori Gobel of Woodland Care Center at the Tuesday event for helping things run smoothly. The day before, Sportsman’s Steakhouse and Saloon hosted its own benefit in Ridgefield in their own support of families of those killed in the attacks on police.
At the center of the fishing was Dion Hess, now an experienced orchestrator of similar events for military veterans.
What initially started as a more locally-focused benefit for law enforcement, the event grew when both the Dallas and Baton Rouge tragedies occurred, Hess said. Overall more than a dozen agencies were represented among those taking part.
“After the Dallas ambush shooting, I just decided I had to do something,” Hess said. With past experience coordinating with fishing guides for similar events in benefit of veterans he reasoned the best thing he could do was bring them to enjoy what he knows best, fishing in southwest Washington.
“It’s hard to explain it, but it’s like they did us a favor, they did this community a favor by coming,” Hess said. He gave an example of the character of the officers who came in, explaining that the son of slain Rainier, Ore. police chief Ralph Painter was going to be a special guest for the event and would need volunteers to hit the water with.
“It was within a half a second that one of the Dallas police officers said ‘put me on that boat’ and then right after another said ‘I’m going, too,’” Hess recounted. He said even taking part in something devoted to them, the officers were still making sacrifices.
In terms of performance, Hess said the out-of-town officers did well, with each catching at least one fish.
“They were outdoorsmen in their own right,” Hess said, “obviously they were new to the Columbia River but they were experienced fisherman.”
Woodland Police Chief Phil Crochet had a unique perspective on Kings for Cops, being both in the community of Woodland putting together the event while also being law enforcement at the center of the event’s benefit.
“Throughout the whole process, seeing the community support and the business support, this is incredible,” Crochet said.
Crochet said he was humbled by the outpouring of support for law enforcement, adding that the feeling extended to the officers brought into the Woodland community,
“They just had nothing but good things to say when we had their welcoming dinner in Ridgefield on Saturday,” Crochet said, explaining that at the welcome dinner both Sportsman’s Steakhouse and Saloon owner Terry Hurd and RIdgefield Mayor Ron Onslow introduced themselves and offered thanks to the officers present.
“They really rolled out the red carpet,” Crochet remarked.
Frederick Frazier, a Dallas PD Criminal Intelligence Unit officer and vice president of the Dallas Police Association, said that other than himself the officers from his department had not made it out to the area previously. He said he was contacted a few days after The July shooting by Hess and didn’t know who he was prior to the call.
After the proposition got moving Frazier was set with the task of picking the best officers to go on the trip, looking for those injured or emotionally attached to the situation and only those officers themselves who have ‘given back.’ Initially he didn’t plan on taking part in the trip, but if he didn’t go those officers he thought should go refused.
Frazier spoke of the “emotional roller coaster” of both the attacks on law enforcement and the support offered from community members, not only in communities directly affected like Dallas and Baton Rouge, but in places like Ridgefield and Woodland willing to show support in ways like Kings for Cops.
“They couldn’t all come to Dallas. They brought Dallas to them,” Frazier remarked, “and that is very unique. It shows you what type of community you have here in Woodland, and around this entire area.”
Looking ahead Hess said that there might be a similar event to Kings for Cops next year but only a few days after that event wrapped up it was still too early to tell what exactly the next edition of his now-regular fishing expeditions would entail.
“This is the sixth event I have done in five years, so I can tell you next year I’m going to do another event,” Hess remarked.
