Boots’n Badges event to raise funds for Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse

By KIRA LOGAN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

A fundraising event to benefit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. May 13 at the Red River Ranch in Los Olivos.

The Boots ’n Badges event will feature live and up-close demonstrations by Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies, including those with the bomb squad and K-9 and Mounted Enforcement units. The Mounted Enforcement unit will show how it trains its horses in crowd control techniques.

The bomb squad will demonstrate its robot in action destroying a suspicious package, and the K-9 unit will show off its drug-sniffing and patrol dogs.

“Guests will be greeted with a specialty cocktail, enjoy a series of gourmet food stations, wine from Brick Barn Wine Estate, beer from Firestone Walker along with bootstomping music from Los Angelesbased band Jambalaya West, plus they’ll receive a keepsake gift,” said event chairperson Suzanne

Kramer-Morton. Aided by fellow Posse Board members, Richard Kline, Sue Pohls, Jay Gerlach, Scott Biddinger and Posse Board Secretary Marianne Freeman, this fundraiser and accompanying item auction will benefit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse in its efforts to provide funds for items and equipment needed to help the officers of the department. In the recent past, the Sheriff’s Posse has helped the Sheriff’s Office obtain emergency equipment such as COVID-19 personal protection equipment, protective vests, night vision goggles, specialized weapons, computer equipment, and drug sniffing dogs. email: klogan@newspress.com

The posse has also supported the DARE program in elementary schools, which teaches students how to make good decisions and learn more about substance abuse, bullying and violence. For more information, see www. sbsheriffsposse.org.