When the Jamestown Old Timers Baseball Club reached out to the Warren Police Department in Pennsylvania about holding a fund-raising exhibition game, officers started recruiting right away.

The teams will play at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at Diethrick Park in Jamestown — the Old Timers’ home field.

The event will be a fund-raiser for the Warren County Sheriff’s Office Canine Program and K-9 Olive.

Finding a suitable cause to donate to was the easy part. The police department doesn’t have a baseball team. Capt. Jeff Dougherty had to look around for enough people to field a team.

City of Warren Police Capt. Jeff Dougherty (left) and Warren County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Deputy Joshua Warmath are on the Warren County law enforcement team that will play an exhibition baseball game against the Jamestown Old Timers. Photo by Brian Ferry

The Law Enforcement Team will include players from City of Warren Police, Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County District Attorney’s Office, Youngsville Borough Police, Warren County Adult Probation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Penn State University Police.

K-9 Olive is expected to be in attendance and greet visitors.

Eisenhower High School sophomore Caroline Smyth, daughter of Steve and Sherry Smyth, will sing the national anthem.

In addition to the cost of admission — a recommended donation of $3 to $5 — there will be concessions available. All proceeds will benefit the Warren County Sheriff’s Office Canine Program.

Deputy Joshua Warmath said, in addition to supplies, equipment, and training, the program has need of a ramp to help K-9 Olive get into her vehicle.

Olive is a school resource dog, not a search or apprehension animal. Her jobs are to help bridge gaps, make people comfortable, and defuse energetic situations.

Her life is a quiet one and jumping into the back of a police vehicle is not her favorite pastime. A ramp would help.

Raising funds for a worthy cause is traditional activity for the Old Timers.

They are not just a bunch of guys who get together to play a kids’ game.

“The Jamestown Old Timers is a non-profit organization over 50 years old,” Old Timers Treasurer Ron Thomas said. “We have always been about giving back to the community and specifically youth baseball. When COVID hit, it was hard for us to find ways to continue the effort.”

The team found a way last year and set up a precedent for an Old Timers vs. Law Enforcement game.

In 2021, the team played against the Jamestown Police Department, raising money for the Tim Hortons Camp Day Foundation.

The follow-up to that game is tentatively set for Thursday, Aug. 18.

“Last year, we played a charity game with the Jamestown (N.Y.) Police Department that worked out very well,” Thomas said. “It only made sense for us to try and expand to do the same with the Warren Police Department since the majority of our team is from the Warren area.”

“Hopefully this game will draw a good crowd and we can do this every year,” he said.