LAPLACE – The St. John Sheriff’s Office Distinguished Gentlemen’s Club, which helps to mentor young men, is working and playing hard in the community. Cops and kids came together last month at Joe Keller Stadium in Reserve for a fun game of flag football.

Several officers coached and played along with the boys in an effort to teach them about basic football fundamentals, healthy competition, and sportsmanship.

After the game, the group enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs. Brandon Brown, head football coach and athletic director at East St. John High, spoke to the boys and encouraged them to set goals and work hard to reach their goals.

The flag football game is among several activities planned by the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Club to give young boys the opportunity to interact with law enforcement officers in a positive setting.

The young men’s club also believes community service is a priority, and the Thanksgiving holidays provided ample opportunities for members to serve others. First, the young men spent a couple of hours picking up trash along Percy Hebert Road in LaPlace. Then, the young men offered their service for the SJSO’s Thanksgiving luncheon for senior citizens. The guys did a great job, escorting seniors to tables, assisting them with bingo games, giving out door prizes and serving soft drinks to the nearly 400 seniors. On Thanksgiving Day, the group arrived at 7 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church in LaPlace where they helped volunteers prepare about 1,000 meals for delivery to families in need.

Mentors meet with students and work to guide these young men in building traits of good character that will prepare them to be productive members of society as well as assist these young men in obtaining skills needed to become positive influences in the community.

Sheriff Mike Tregre started the mentoring program in 2017.

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