On a recent weekend, a group of kids ran basketball drills and scrimmaged. Floor squeaks filled the gym at Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Auraria Event Center.
And in the middle of them all, a group of Denver police joined in, trying to keep up with the youthful exuberance around them. It was all part of the Hoops 4 Safety event, held annually as a way for officers and kids to get to know each other.
“I'm a Denver native too. So, I'm one of these kids. I used to go to all the camps and all the fun stuff that they offered way back in my day, too,” said Officer Mike Borquez, a 26-year veteran who attended MSU Denver while he was a cadet. “So it's pretty neat to see the kids out here taking advantage of these programs.”
But, if you ask DPD Deputy Chief Joe Montoya, the officers were not the headliners of the event.
“We kind of want to just mingle,” Montoya said. “And I think where the safety aspect is, if you get kids involved in positive things like sports or whatever it might be, that generally that helps them in their lives and I think maybe helps veer them away from getting involved in activities that could lead them into dangerous situations.”
The event is a collaboration between the MSU Denver men’s and women’s basketball teams, the DPD, and the Gold Crown Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers youth sports and enrichment programs.
Teamwork was the highlight for 10-year-old Selena Gallardo — well, that and the basketball she received during the camp.
“We all got to collab and work with each other and how we got to use teamwork,” said Gallardo, who attended the event wearing the jersey of Danilo Gallinari, her all-time favorite Denver Nuggets player.
MSU Denver players and coaches led drills and scrimmages throughout the clinic. The event wasn’t all hoops, however. The kids, players, and DPD officers also participated in a massive game of dodgeball.
“Not from being here. It has always been one of my passions to give back to the youth,” said KJ Garrett, the Roadrunners’ senior point guard from High Point, North Carolina. “When I was a kid I used to look up to older kids as well. So, now that I'm in those shoes, it's my best job to get back to the kids and make sure they have a good time, too.
Hoops 4 Safety is in its fourth year. Golden Crown Foundation Chief Executive and Co-Founder Bill Hanzlik said having DPD involved with the camp gives officers a release from their everyday duties.
“They're under a lot of stress every day out on the street,” said Hanzlik, a former player and head coach for the Denver Nuggets. “They're all having fun. So, it's a great kind of release for them and it's neat to see them really be involved and care.”
DPD’s participation in the clinic gave 16-year-old Jordan Sanchez a positive perspective on the police officers.
“I think it was pretty cool. I think it was just them showing that they're the good guys sometimes and showing that not all of them are bad,” said Sanchez.
Borquez also fielded questions from kids about his job with DPD.
“I had a few of the kids out there ask me why I wanted to become a police officer, how to become a police officer. And not only just the young kids, but I had some of the basketball team ask me questions about it,” said Borquez, who works as a technician in the DPD Community Resource department.
MSU Denver basketball players also answered questions from the kids, who were each given prizes such such as basketballs and backpacks.
Ashlyn Yow, a junior point guard for MSU, hopes the experience inspires the young participants to go after their dreams.
“Sometimes you'll find a kid that kind of gets attached to you or really is drawn to you and that's my favorite part about the [clinic],” Yow said. “Sometimes you'll see kids back from previous years or sometimes we work at Gold Crown and see kids there. So, it's just a great way for us to interact with the kids. And when we see them later on, they'll know our faces.”
