Cops, Cats and Caring Students were on hand for a special presentation at Barton Secondary School to mark the successful completion of the program’s 12th season.

The 2012 Cops and Cats season involved 14 games with a total of $14,153.36 in donations raised. The all-time record was set last year when a 16-game schedule raised $24,860.47. As always, the funds will be donated to two charities: McMaster Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation.

The fundraising trophy, a ‘gold’ basketball donated by Fox 40 International was presented by Ron Foxcroft, to Barton High School for the first time in the school’s history. The gold ball is given to the school that raises the most money, on average, per student in the fundraising year.

Cops, Cats and Caring Students is a partnership between the Hamilton Police Service and the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club.  It involves members from both ‘teams’ playing basketball in friendly competition with area secondary schools.

Since 2001, Cops and Cats have played basketball games against local Hamilton High Schools to raise money for charity. This initiative has not only developed better relationships between the police and students, but also raised a total of $167,000.00 in the past twelve years for our local hospitals.

Cooperation between of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Hamilton Police Service, and all our local secondary schools make this program a true winner.