CHOCOWINITY — On Saturday, Beaufort County Police Activities League hosted the second annual First Responder Goodwill Basketball Game, along with the Harlem Ambassadors, a professional, comedic basketball league, at Southside High School. The first responders team consisted of participants from Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Police Department, Washington Fire and EMS Services and the U.S. Coast Guard. This year’s event also featured a display of classic cars, a fire truck, boats and Vidant’s EastCare helicopter, as well as setups from Beaufort County Schools’ public safety program, BCPAL, Dillon’s Aviation and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The idea of the basketball game is to create a positive relationship between first responders and local residents.

“I’m excited about any opportunity for (first responders) to interact with children, especially in a non-adversarial way,” Chief Deputy Charlie Rose said in a previous interview. “Games like this are perfect for that. It’s a chance for the community and anyone else to interact and see the people responding to emergencies in a situation where it’s not an emergency. You see them smiling and having a good time.”