‘Guns vs. Hoses’ game raises $10k for charity

IDAHO FALLS (KIFI) - The 13th annual ‘Guns vs. Hoses’ charity softball game came to Melaleuca Field on Friday.

The slow-pitch contest is held each summer between the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Falls Fire Department. Participants promised the crowd ‘shenanigans’ - and delivered.

Far from a typical softball game, fans could pay $20 to give their favorite team a run, make a player wear drunk goggles on the field, or send anyone in the ballpark to a jail cell on the third base line. It’d cost another $20 to bail that person out.

The ‘Hoses’ team of firefighters continued its years-long win streak, defeating the ‘Guns’ 79-78.

But all the fun on the field helped seriously sick kids have fun, too. All money raised between admission, donations, and various on-field hijinks went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"Last year, we were in the neighborhood of $18-19,000,” explained Sgt. Bryan Lovell of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. “And if memory serves me correct, that's enough for two or three wishes that they grant on average.”

“And that's very important to that organization,” he added. “We’re pretty passionate about that and this event to help the Make-A-Wish folks here in Idaho.”

This year’s attendance was a little lower than what’s been seen in previous years. Even so, the first responders raised $10,572 for the charity.