CHICAGO — After a moment of silence for those lost in the line of duty and a flyover by the Chicago Fire Department’s helicopter, Chicago police and firefighters took to Wrigley Field in a friendly rivalry that spans back decades.
CFD took the field donning “Bravest” uniforms, while the Chicago Police Department rocking “Finest” across their chest in the annual CFD vs CPD baseball game.
“Hopefully [we’re] kicking some butt tonight,” said Chicago firefighter Tony Budvaitis before the game.
“We have no lives, we just like to play baseball on our off time,” added Chicago police officer Vincent Macias.
But rarely is that off-time spent playing baseball at one of the game’s most iconic parks.
“I’ve been coming to Cubs games my whole life, but to actually play on the field, it’s very surreal,” said Dakota Pisarek, a Chicago firefighter from Garfield Park.
When Pisarek took the field at the Friendly Confines, just a few feet away stood his parents, who proudly cheered him on and posed the question, how many parents get to cheer on their kids at Wrigley Field?
“Not too many,” said Robert Pisarek, Dakota’s father, with a few laughs along the way.
Pisarek’s cheery demeanor was indicative of the tight-knit atmosphere found at Wrigley.
“We’re all brothers out there, they’ve helped us in a lot of situations,” Budvaitis said. “We’ve done the same for them. It’s all good when we’re out in the streets.
“[But] when you get in these confines, it’s a little different.”
So, maybe the Confines were not so friendly Friday night as CPD ended up beating CFD 7-3, but the real victory came through each side’s charitable pursuits.
Players and volunteers selling merchandise before and during the game for CPD were raising money for the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation (CPMF), while those raising money for CFD did so for the Herbie Johnson Foundation.
Both charities’ work centers around honoring the memories of fallen first responders, while also supporting the family members of those who we’ve lost.
Officials with CPD told WGN News they expect to hit $100,000 raised on the year for the CPMF thanks to money raised around the game, while CFD said they expect to raise thousands alongside their police counterparts.
“Having been a police officer for nearly 29 years, I have lost friends and people I know,” said retired Chicago police officer Anthony Skokal. “It’s important to be there for their family.”