Friday, September 04, 2026
62.0°F

Special Olympics prep for Cop and Fire on Top

CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 1 month AGO
by CALEB PEREZ
| July 8, 2025 3:15 AM

MOSES LAKE – Basin Special Olympics teams prep for their annual Cop and Fire on Top fundraiser July 18 starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 4 p.m. outside of the Moses Lake Walmart. 

“This will be our fourth annual event and it’s a great way for our Special Olympic athletes to raise some money,” said Tim Toon, Special Olympics Washington’s East Region Program Manager. “And also interact with the public and with local law enforcement and fire agencies.” 

The event involves putting fire and law enforcement officers up on a scissor lift and having the athletes engage in water fights with them, said Toon. Members of the public are also invited to come and join in as well whether they are shopping or happen to be in the area. 

“In Eastern Washington’s hot summers, it is refreshing and super fun,” he said.

Donation buckets will be located by the water fight area and at the front doors of Walmart. Toon said that while a monetary donation is great, coming and interacting with the athletes at the event is something that is incredibly valuable to the event. 

Toon said this is the second year that Special Olympics has held the event at Walmart and that they’ve been a great partner in making it happen. Employees from the Moses Lake, Othello and Ephrata Walmart locations will be donating some time out of their day to help out with the event. 

The money raised from the event will be split between the Othello and Moses Lake Special Olympics programs. 

“Come interact with our athletes and have some fun with police and firefighters,” said Toon. 

    Special Olympics athletes and an officer from the Washington State Patrol pose for a photo during last year’s event. Special Olympics Washington’s East Region Program Manager Tim Toon said this event presents a great opportunity for the athletes to interact with both fire and law enforcement officers but also with the community.
 
 
    Special Olympics athletes face off against members of the fire department as each side sprays the other with water. The event features support from Walmart locations in Moses Lake, Othello and Ephrata.
 
 


ARTICLES BY CALEB PEREZ

Tigers Cross Country ready for their biggest season yet
September 4, 2026 8:15 a.m.

Tigers Cross Country ready for their biggest season yet

EPHRATA — The Ephrata Tigers Cross Country team is already hard at work to be in top shape for the 2026 season. With a strong group of returning runners alongside a solid group of new faces, the Tigers are eager to hit the ground running this year. “I’m feeling energized,” said Tigers Head Coach Lyndsy Roberts. “We’ve got a good group, one of the largest groups we’ve had in a long time.” The Tigers roster has over 50 athletes that have been participating in early season practices between the boys and girls, who Roberts said have all been mixing together well.

Lions set with smaller but strong squad
September 4, 2026 8:05 a.m.

Lions set with smaller but strong squad

MOSES LAKE — Despite seeing a smaller roster this year, the Moses Lake Christian Academy Lions volleyball team is looking to build off their success from last season. With strong returners, the Lions are on track to stay competitive. “We lost some people, but we’ll be able to fill in, so that’ll be nice. Not quite at the numbers that we normally have, but we’ll make it work,” said Lions Head Coach Dean Spurbeck. The Lions concluded their 2025 season with a 10-8 record after battling through a tough Central Washington B League. MLCA entered into the postseason district tournament where they entered as the fourth seed and fell to the fifth seeded Pateros in the second round.

Huskies bring in senior experience for the coming season
September 4, 2026 7 a.m.

Huskies bring in senior experience for the coming season

OTHELLO — The Othello Huskies girls soccer team is preparing for another tough season in the Central Washington Athletic Conference. This year the Huskies are returning with an advantage as they bring back their full roster from last season. “We’re looking good; we’re trending in the right direction,” said Huskies Head Coach Victor Quiroz. “We’re bringing everybody back that we had last year on our varsity team, so we’re super excited. That makes it a lot easier going into the season.” Last season, the Huskies completed the regular season 6-9-1, which earned them a spot for the district tournament. Othello was eliminated in the first round of districts after a tight game against Prosser that ended in a shootout with a final score of 2-1.