SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Announces Deal with SHIELD616

DALLAS, Texas (Sept. 16, 2019) – The SERVPRO First Responder Bowl and ESPN Events have announced a multi-year agreement with SHIELD616, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the community and first responders together.

 Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., SHIELD616’s mission is to provide all-day protection for peace officers and first responders who sacrificially serve their communities. In addition, SHIELD616 strives to build relationships between community members and their law enforcement officers in the form of support groups.

 “SHIELD616 is an extraordinary organization dedicated to protecting and serving those heroes that the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl honors,” Brant Ringler, the bowl’s executive director, said. “We are privileged to have such an admirable organization involved in our game, and being able to protect first responders across the country and in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.”

 Since its founding in 2015, SHIELD616has outfitted more than 3,500 first responders in 22 states with necessary gear such as vests, plates and helmets. All of the protective equipment is donated and replaced every five years at no cost to any officer or department.

 “SHIELD616 is honored to partner with the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to help protect our protectors by providing 616 protective vests and world class training to local law enforcement,” founder and President Jake Skifstad.

 This year’s SERVPRO First Responder Bowl will be played on Monday, Dec. 30 at SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT (12:30 p.m. ET) and the matchup will be on ESPN. The game is slated to be a matchup of schools from the Big 12 Conference and Conference USA.

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SHIELD616

SHIELD616 is a non-profit, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The mission of SHIELD616 is to equip every first responder with necessary cutting-edge protection, and provide a support group for first responders and their families. SHIELD616 was formed with the vision of local individuals, churches, businesses and foundations investing in first responders both financially and personally

ESPN Events 
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of 34 collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games, the FCS opening-weekend game, 15 college bowl games, 11 college basketball events, a college softball event, an esports event and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 375-plus hours of live programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 800,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boca Raton, Boise, Dallas-Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Montgomery and Tampa, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.