Palm Springs Police Officers Raise Money for Scholarship Program
A record number of people participated in the Eighth Annual Palm Springs Police Officers Association (POA) Golf Tournament on Friday and raised an unprecedented amount of money - more than $10,000 — for this particular tournament.
The proceeds from the tournament support the POA’s Scholarship program in the names of two fallen Palm Springs Police Officers, Gale Gene Eldridge and Lyle Wayne Larrabee, both of whom were killed in the line of duty in 1961 and 1962, respectively. The POA also sponsors two scholarships in the names of Gary Kitchen and Royce Madison.
“The golf tournament also allows us to provide financial assistance to the families of officers slain in the line of duty in California,” said POA President Troy Castillo. “Our job when we are on duty is to help people;
it’s also our job when we’re off duty to help the pubic and work with the community. That’s what this money is for - to help the community.”
The POA was able to raise the record-setting amount of money due to the “tremendous support from the community in the form of players, raffle prizes and hole sponsorships,” Castillo said.
The tournament, held Friday at Indian Canyons Golf Course in Palm Springs, attracted more than 160 players from 20 different local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, in addition to civic and business leaders and longtime supporters of the POA. Among those attending were Palm Springs City Councilman Chris Mills; Palm Springs City Councilman and former Palm Springs Police Chief Lee Weigel, former Palm Springs Mayor Will Kleindienst, former Palm Springs City Councilman Mike McCulloch. David G. Dominguez, who was named last week as Palm Springs??? Chief of Police also played in the tournament; he officially begins duties February 4.
This year’s special guest was former Los Angeles Chief of Police Darryl Gates. Other notable guests were Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco, former District Attorney Grover Trask, Judge J.D. Smith, Judge B.J. Bjork, Judge Rick Erwood and Retired Judge Art Block.
For more information, contact Castillo at 760-902-6405.
