EPHRATA — A number of different public safety agencies will be handing the reins of their departments over to local deserving children on Thursday during the Chief for a Day event.

Chief for a Day is set to take place at 2 p.m. on the front lawn of the Grant County Courthouse, 35 C St. NW in Ephrata. The event, which is hosted by local and state law enforcement and fire departments, celebrates the lives of children around Grant County.

Event organizers bring out all the stops for the ceremony and invite the Board of County Commissioners, Grant County Superior Court judges and other local dignitaries. On Tuesday the Board of County Commissioners signed a Chief for a Day proclamation and raised awareness about the important event.

“The Grant County Sheriff’s Office and other participating emergency service agencies are interested in honoring the lives of children in Grant County facing serious health challenges,” reads the proclamation.

The event is sponsored by the Ephrata-based Thomas A. Boruff Foundation, which assists special needs children in the United States and Mexico. The sheriff’s office, which is located at the courthouse, will be closing at 1 p.m. and reopening at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday to allow staff to assist with the event. For more information on Chief for a Day contact the sheriff’s office at 509-754-2011 ext. 2001.