Moultrie County First Responders Fundraiser

06/08/2026

We are just 6 weeks away from the Moultrie County First Responder Softball Game on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Crowder Park in Bethany, Illinois!

Week 3 of highlighting the dedicated first responders who proudly serve Moultrie County. Today, we're featuring the Lovington Illinois Police Department.

The Lovington Illinois Police Department is proud to serve the approximately 1,000 residents who call our community home. Led by Chief of Police Chris Swisher, our department consists of one full-time officer and a dedicated team of part-time officers who also serve with the neighboring agencies. Through strong partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, we are able to provide professional and responsive service to our community while assisting others when needed.

At the Lovington Police Department, we believe policing is about more than enforcing laws; it’s about building relationships. We are committed to maintaining the small-town values that make Lovington special by fostering trust, staying engaged with residents, and creating positive connections throughout the community.

We are excited to participate in the Guns & Hoses Fundraiser to help raise money for school supplies for students across Moultrie County. We hope to see you at the game as we come together with our fellow brothers and sisters, both fire/EMS and Police/Sheriff, to support a great cause and our great communities!

Pictured: Lovington Police Chief Christian Swisher

Reminder: Shirt order forms and monetary donations for the Moultrie County First Responder fundraiser to raise money for local school supplies must be submitted by July 1, 2026.

Thank you for supporting our local first responders and schools. We look forward to seeing everyone at Crowder Park on July 18th!

05/31/2026

We are just 7 weeks away from the Moultrie County First Responder Softball Game on Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Crowder Park in Bethany, Illinois!

Week 2 of highlighting the dedicated first responders who proudly serve Moultrie County. Today, we're featuring the Bethany, Illinois Police Department.

The Bethany, Illinois Police Department serves approximately 1,200 residents of the Village of Bethany. Their officers are committed to working alongside the community to make Bethany a safe and welcoming place to live, work, and visit. Through fairness, transparency, professionalism, and dedication, they strive to improve public safety and strengthen community partnerships every day.

Policing requires a special trust from the public. Whether responding during times of crisis or assisting residents with everyday concerns, Bethany officers consistently demonstrate the commitment and professionalism that often goes unnoticed. Their dedication helps make both the department and the community stronger each day.

Bethany Police Department Officers: Chief Chris Nichols, Officer Ashley Warner

The Bethany Police Department is currently accepting applications for Part-Time Police Officers on an ongoing basis. When full-time positions become available, announcements will be posted on the Bethany Police Department page and the Village of Bethany website.

Reminder: Shirt order forms and monetary donations for the Moultrie County First Responder fundraiser to raise money for local school supplies must be submitted by July 1, 2026.

Thank you for supporting our local first responders and schools. We look forward to seeing everyone at Crowder Park on July 18th!

05/25/2026

We are 8 weeks from the Moultrie County First Responder Softball Game on July 18th, 2026, @ 6 PM (Crowder Park, Bethany, IL). In the coming weeks, we will share photos of the Moultrie County First Responders.

The Bethany Fire Protection District serves the Village of Bethany and surrounding areas in Moultrie County as a volunteer-based emergency response agency focused on fire suppression, rescue services, and ambulance operations. Organized in 1956, the department expanded to include ambulance service in 1975 and continues to rely heavily on local volunteers dedicated to protecting the community. The district operates from 530 East Main Street (Bethany, IL) and provides 24/7 emergency response, public safety support, and community outreach programs focused on emergency preparedness and prevention. The department is led by Full-time Fire Chief Mike Jennings, Assistant Chief Curtis Robinson, and Assistant Chief Markus Deel and plays an important role in maintaining safety and emergency readiness for the village’s roughly 1,200 residents.

If you are looking to become a Bethany Fire volunteer, explore your options at makemeafirefighter.org or contact Markus Deel at (217)-372-7044/[email protected] and start seeing your impact. Must be 16 years or older.

Pictured Below Left to Right: Terry Peters (Firefighter/EMR), Dakoda Lucas (Firefighter), Eric Boomer (Firefighter), Michael Jennings (Chief), Patty Robinson (EMR), Jessica Henderson (EMT), Curtis Robinson (Assistant Chief), Isaiah Williams (Firefighter), Markus Deel (Assistant Chief)

**REMINDER: Shirt order forms and monetary donations need to be turned in by July 1st, 2026. Thank you for your support!

04/28/2026

SHIRT ORDER FORMS ARE AVAILABLE!!

We attached a printable shirt order form to this post!

We are giving the option this year to show your support to either the Fire/EMS "Hoses" or the Sheriff/Police "Guns". Team "Hoses" will be wearing blue shirts, and team "Guns" will be wearing green shirts.

There will also be shirt order forms at all participating departments for pick-up. Please mail/return the shirt order form to the Moultrie County Sheriff's Office (1505 West Hagerman St, Sullivan, IL) with the correct amount of funds. Checks can be made out to "Moultrie County First Responders".

Orders must be turned in by July 1, 2026!

Thank you for supporting our fundraiser, and hope to see everyone in Bethany at our Guns vs Hoses Softball game on July 18th at 6PM!

SIZE Blue Green Cost SMALL MEDIUM LARGE XLARGE XXLARGE ###LARGE TOTAL $__________________ Name____________________ Address____________________________________ Phone $20 Per Shirt PLEASE RETURN TO THE MOULTRIE ...

03/11/2026

WE ARE BACK!

First, we would like to thank all those in the community who helped make last year's donations so amazing. Last year proved to be an overwhelming success. We are continuing this year and are looking forward to making this fundraiser a tradition. The Moultrie County First Responders are asking for your support again.

Potential Donors,

The first responders of Moultrie County are looking for donations to assist in the acquisition of school supplies for Bethany, Lovington, Arthur, and Sullivan Elementary Schools. These donations can be monetary and/or physical supplies, as listed by each school district. The monetary donations will assist in the purchase of school supplies, as well as needs requested from each school district.

All donations are greatly appreciated. Upon request, donors will be recognized on our page. The top 50 donors’ names will be printed on shirts worn by the teams at the softball game, as well as shirts available for purchase by the community in support of the fundraiser. The final deadline for monetary donations being accepted is July 1, 2026, to ensure your business name is added to the shirt.

A list of the school supplies will be compiled, and a list will be posted on that page. School Supplies donations will be accepted year-round. Monetary donations and school supplies may be accepted at the time of the meeting or by being dropped off at the Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office, 1505 W. Hagerman St., Sullivan, IL 61951, at any time. Monetary donations should be made out to “Moultrie County First Responders”.

A Guns v. Hoses softball game will be held at Crowder Park, Bethany, IL, to show appreciation to the hard work of the Moultrie County first responders on July 18, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The supplies will be issued to each school during the first week of school, delivered by the first responders of Moultrie County.

The following offices/ departments are participating and involved with this fundraiser:
Moultrie County Sheriff’s Office, Moultrie County State’s Attorney’s Office, Moultrie County Coroner’s Office, Moultrie County Dive Team, Sullivan Police Department, Sullivan Fire/EMS, Bethany Police Department, Bethany Fire/EMS, and Lovington Police Department, Lovington Fire/EMS.

Thank you for your consideration,
Moultrie County First Responders

For any questions or concerns, please contact Bryce Farris
(217) 294- 9360.

*Please make checks payable to “Moultrie County First Responders.”

08/30/2025

08/30/2025

THANK YOU to our Moultrie County First Responders. They delivered an abundance of school supplies at OVES to each classroom today!

08/30/2025

08/30/2025

What a treat LGS had today! Sullivan and Bethany Fire Departments and Moultrie County Police Department brought a truckload of school supplies to share with our Kindergarten through 5th graders! We are so thankful for their thoughtfulness!

08/29/2025

We were able to deliver all the school supplies to Sullivan, Bethany, and Lovington elementary schools! We have posted all the photos below on our page! We couldn’t have accomplished this without the support from the community. We look forward to keeping the tradition going, we will see you next year!