Caring for Cops: FD Softball Program Makes and Delivers Hundreds of Holiday Treats - from The Messenger

The cookies were the gift, but the gesture is what local law enforcement will always remember about the recent Christmas-time visit with the Dodger girls softball program.

Head coach Andi Adams and her players baked hundreds of holiday treats for the Fort Dodge Police Department's officers, detectives and secretaries this week in a sign of appreciation for those who serve and protect the community through thick and thin.

A recent conversation between Adams and Fort Dodge Police Chief Roger Porter gave Adams the idea. The Hall of Fame coach wanted to do something in recognition of the staff's steadfast work and commitment, but also, to lift the spirits of "the people who are there for us in every single day in so many ways we rarely take the time to realize."

"I was talking to Roger about some of the things that have happened here recently, and the physical and mental toll it's taken on everyone involved," Adams said. "We are so incredibly lucky to have them protecting us in ways we tend to overlook or take for granted. It's a tough job, and it's often thankless."

"We wanted to come up with a way to give them a break from the grind and hopefully put a smile on their faces for at least one morning."

The plan worked. Over a dozen officers visited Fort Dodge Senior High School on Monday morning, and they were greeted by student-athletes who had packed nearly 500 cookies into 50 care-package boxes ready for distribution.

"When you deal with the ugly side of the job the way we have in recent weeks especially, to have a group of young people - especially young people - slow things down for us and bring some positive energy to the equation ... it really helps in so many ways," Porter said. "We greatly appreciated both the treats and the sentiment behind it. Going to (FDSH) and interacting with the kids was something we enjoyed as a 'break' of sorts. It was very thoughtful of them."

Adams remembers turning the tables on Porter during the discussion and asking "who looks out for all of you?"

"A lot of these men and women have kids at home and young families," Adams said. "When Roger is telling me about the missing newborn case, and officers and detectives are physically wearing themselves out and getting sick (in the process of the search) - it's the side of the job most of us can't imagine. They see a lot of darkness and negativity."

"I wanted our kids to think about the during (the baking and packaging) ... not just who we're doing it for, but why we're doing it. To humanize the officers and detectives, and to build a stronger relationship and level of respect with who they are and what they do."

Adams called it an "emotional moment."

"A few of them even teared up a little," Adams said. "It's an opportunity to teach. The kids got a taste of the real world and just how stressful situations can be through our ongoing discussions. We even had some former students (who are now on the force) back in the building. The positive energy seemed to help in its own small way." 

Porter's daughter, Lucy, is a sophomore all-conference Dodger player.

"I get to see Coach Adams and her motivational tactics from the perspective of both a parent and a coach (at the lower levels with the Pride program," Porter said. "It isn't always about softball with Andi. There's a bigger picture and a lot of life lessons these girls take away from playing for her."

"I appreciate it both personally and professionally, because I know Lucy and her teammates are learning both (in the present) and for the future (when they are adults). Someday, they'll look back and it won't just be about baking cookies - they'll remember being active building relationships in the community. So it goes way beyond becoming better softball players. They're better people because of it."