CLEARLAKE – Clearlake Police trading cards are in and the challenge is on! Children of the community are invited to participate in a contest to see who can collect all 36 cards first. The winner of the contest will receive a full, autographed collection of the cards plus an exclusive lunch date with Clearlake Police Chief Alan McClain.
“This contest is a great way for the kids to learn about all the different services offered by the police department and the people who work here,” Sgt. Brenda Crandall, contest organizer said. “It is also an opportunity for the members of the department to interact with the youth in the community in a positive way.”
The contest is open to community youth through the age of 13. Contestants must collect the cards one at a time and some of the cards will have secret marks on them to differentiate them from cards that were given out before the contest began. Each card features a color picture of the sponsored personnel, service history of the individual and a special message to the youth and community.
“Trading sports cards has been a tradition for kids as they grow up. This is a fun way for them to have that type of experience and get to know more about their local police department,” Sgt. Crandall said.
Children will need to keep a watchful eye out in order to collect all the cards, which include officers, dispatchers, Volunteers in Policing, Police Explorers, support staff and administrators. “If kids see an officer, Volunteer in Policing or Police Explorer out and about, who is not busy dealing with a call for service, they should feel free to ask for a card. Cards from support services can be requested from those individuals at the department,” Sgt. Crandall
said. “A poster of all the cards will be posted in the Police Department lobby so kids can check on their progress and see which cards they need. Also, some of the business owners who sponsored the cards have the poster displayed.”
The winner of the contest can look forward to an exclusive lunch with the chief of police, where he or she will have an opportunity to find out more about the police department, ask the chief questions about law enforcement and just get to know him. Chief McClain is looking forward to the experience as well.
“The chief is looking forward to finding out what the winner thinks about the Clearlake Police Department, answering questions and finding out what type of things the winner likes to do for fun,” Sgt. Crandall said. “Officers have been receptive to the idea, too. In fact, two of the trading cards feature local children on the card along with a police employee!”
Once a child has collected all 36 cards, he or she must take them to the Clearlake Police Department to verify the collection with Sgt. Crandall. She can be contacted at the department from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The second place winner will receive a full, autographed collection as well.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
