The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office was smokin’ hot recently during the 27th annual fundraising BBQ to benefit the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches.
The Youth Ranches were founded in 1957 as a residential childcare and family organization to “prevent delinquency and develop strong, lawful, resilient and productive citizens who will make a positive contribution to our communities for years to come.”
Social workers, counselors and therapists work with the children, who come from difficult backgrounds, to refocus their energy toward positive and productive futures by reinforcing Youth Ranch values of integrity, quality, stewardship and character.
A socially distanced crowd gathered for opening ceremonies featuring the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol, bagpiper Michael Hyde, and Edmund Nalzaro, who sang the National Anthem, setting the tone for the afternoon.
“We are excited to have you all here on our campus. We’re excited to have a great fundraiser for the Youth Ranches. Every single dollar that is raised goes directly back to the Youth Ranches,” said Sheriff Eric Flowers.
Before letting their four-legged K-9 deputies take over the field, Flowers presented a check for $58,000 to Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches president and CEO Bill Frye.
Additionally, IRC Tax Collector Carole Jean Jordan presented Frye with a check for nearly $5,000 from donations by residents collected at the tax offices.
Frye said the Youth Ranches have served more than 165,000 Florida children who come from bad environments and “offered them the opportunity to grow and learn and become productive citizens. We couldn’t do it without this type of support.”
Commenting on the impact, Frye noted that several past and current cottage parents have been among the “generations of children” that have returned to the Youth Ranches to help children just like themselves; children who were abused, neglected and often very poor.
From four-legged to two-wheeled, the crowd was wowed by the skill of the officers during dynamic demonstrations by the K-9, SWAT and motorcycle units. The K-9’s sniffed, chased and, after dogged pursuit, caught their quarry, rewarded with the praise and attention of their human partners.
Before heading over to enjoy the barbecue chicken and pork, attendees could also view static displays showcasing everything from the department’s aviation fleet to a U.S. Customs boat and a Crime Scene van to antique cars. Additionally, local nonprofits, businesses, military representatives, county agencies and members of area law enforcement were on hand to chat about their programs and services.
Photos by Kaila Jones
