The Natchitoches Rotary Club will hold Bulletproof the Blue: A Law Enforcement Experience like no Other Saturday, april 29 from 8 am – 1 pm at Dark Woods Haunted Attraction.

The goal is to raise $10,000 to purchase new bulletproof/ballistic vests for the Natchitoches Police Department.

“Richard DeVargas brought to our committee’s attention the Police Department’s need for 10-15 new vests and that they cost around $500 each,” said Rotary member David Guillet. “When thinking of how we could raise money to help in that, we thought about golf tournaments, skeet shoots, and dinner events. We wanted to do something that would tie directly into law enforcement and the need for these vests.”

The event features three interactive scenarios, involving police issue Glock handguns with “simunition” non lethal rounds, that will put participants in situations designed to replicate an actual police call. There will be “shoot/don’t shoot” decision making involved that will give the participant a greater understanding of the stress that law enforcement officers endure.

With that said, the scenarios are fairly basic and are designed to be fun and user friendly even for people who may not be familiar with handling firearms. There will also be static displays from various law enforcement groups such as K-9, Dive Rescue, SWAT, and others.

“When we spoke with Rotary International to detail the event, they had never heard of anything like this nationwide,” said Guillet. “We felt like there has been some unfortunate misunderstandings nationally between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and we hope that this event will, most importantly, raise a lot of money and be a lot of fun for all who show up, but also put a friendly face on our police department. And we hope this will give the public a better understanding of the stress they endure. I hope everyone will come out and support us.”

This is an opportunity for the public to have fun, contribute to a cause helpful to the community, and get a friendly familiarity with the men and women protecting the community. Dark Woods staff will sell concession items such as drinks and snacks throughout the event.

Tickets will be $45 per person, which will include a T-shirt and BBQ lunch provided by City Bank and Trust. There are reduced rates for group packages, law enforcement, firefighters, active duty military, and students with a current, valid NSU ID. There are also corporate sponsorship packages available at reduced rates. The event is open to anyone 16 and older.

For more information contact David Guillet at City Bank and Trust, 318-352-4416 or Natchitoches Rotary Club on Facebook.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED