ECHL Reading Royals

U.S. Army Presents Battle of the Badges Round Two

January 10, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, the Office of the Mayor of the City of Reading, the Reading Fire Department, and the Reading Police Department today jointly welcomed the U.S. Army as the presenting sponsor of the second annual Battle of the Badges Hockey Game on Sunday, February 18, at the Sovereign Center in Reading beginning at 1:45 pm. The pro hockey action takes over after that as the Royals join battle against the North Division rival Wheeling Nailers with opening face-off scheduled for 4:35 pm. One ticket gains entry into both games, and a portion of every ticket sold will go to the Battle of the Badges Scholarship Fund established to benefit the children of firefighters and police officers.

The day of hockey kicks off with the Battle of the Badges presented by the U.S. Army, a re-match of the on-going hockey battle between the Reading Fire Department and the Reading Police Department. In addition to their respective fans, this season each team is also supported by a Reading-area business, as the Fire Department is sponsored by FirstStates Financial Services, while the Police Department is sponsored by Medalist Performance Apparel. In addition, the Reading Eagle has returned for a second year as the Official Media Partner of the event. Last season, these two teams engaged in an epic battle for the FirstStates Cup, playing to a 3-3 tie tie in front of 6,073 appreciative, if somewhat boisterous, fans at the Sovereign Center. The Royals followed that game with a charged up 5-1 win over the Trenton Titans.

A special pre-game ceremony will take place at 4:30pm before the Royals game honoring Police Officers Scott Wertz and Michael H. Wise II. In addition to the ceremony, both Police and Fire Department game jerseys will feature their badge numbers.

"The U.S. Army is very excited to partner with the Reading Police and Fire Departments for this great event. We are all brothers in uniform," said Gary Vezza, Chief, Advertising and Public Affairs, Harrisburg Army Recruiting Battalion.

Mayor Thomas McMahon of the City of Reading stated, "I am pleased that the competitive spirit of our two professional departments in uniform gets another opportunity to battle it out on the ice. As they work in tandem and harmony throughout the year on many challenging tasks, they will look forward to facing off against each other to benefit the scholarship fund for their family members. The Reading Royals continue to enhance our community by inviting us to have fun and enjoy ourselves in their arena. It's becoming an annual event not to be missed!"

"The entire Fire Department team is looking forward to the 2nd Annual Battle of the Badges Game with great anticipation and excitement. The event brings together two aspects of public safety, Fire and Police, in a fun, competitive, and, most importantly, charitable environment. This game also provides us the opportunity to honor the fallen and celebrate the people that they were, not just the public servant role they chose," commented Fire Marshall Todd Iaeger, captain and goaltender for the Fire Department team. "The team very much appreciates the efforts of the Reading Royals, the U.S. Army, FirstStates Financial Services, Medalist Performance Apparel, and the Reading Eagle for making this event possible, as well as their continuing role as great community partners."

"We are excited that the game is becoming a tradition in Reading," added Criminal Investigator Joel D. Avram, captain of the Police Department team. "It's a great event that brings our two outstanding public service branches together for a worthy and meaningful cause. With that said, as soon as the puck is dropped this year the Police Department team is ready to take the FirstStates Cup home. I know we are also looking forward to again honoring our fallen brothers, Scott Wertz and Michael H. Wise, at the game."

Gordon Kaye, the general manager of the Royals, stated "the Royals' organization is proud to join the U.S. Army, Medalist, FirstStates and the Reading Eagle as we host of round two of historic series, which is turning into an extremely competitive event. As with last season, we expect a spirited game that serves as a tremendous lead in to the Royals' game against Wheeling. In fact, we felt that the energy and excitement created during last season's Battle of the Badges' game was a catalyst to the Royals' win over Trenton. I wish both teams the best of luck in the game - but also hope that we all remember that the real winners in this event are the families of our outstanding Police Officers and Firefighters."

To purchase tickets to the Battle of the Badges presented by the U.S. Army, call the Royals offices at (610) 898-PUCK or visit the Royals website, www.royalshockey.com for more information. The Royals complete a four game road trip in Wheeling, West Virginia on Friday night (7:35 pm) before returning to the Sovereign Center for back-to-back games (Saturday, 7:05 pm; Sunday, 4:35 pm) against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Royals' game night broadcasts can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1240 am (and on the internet through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com), beginning thirty minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available for $6.00 per game through the B2 Networks, which can be accessed through the Royals' website.

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