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MAYVILLE, NY (WNY News Now) – Chautauqua County’s own Sheriff Jim Quattrone will be competing in a special fundraiser next month called the Sheriffs’ Showdown. Where the lawman will face off against other Sheriff’s in New York as part of a race at Watkins Glen International.
“The first year was pre-COVID and that was actually a competition with the mounted-patrol on horseback,” says Quattrone. “This day in age, not too many of us Sheriff’s are able to ride horses, I’ve never been on one. So this year we’ve decided to do something we’ve all done before, driven a car. And we’re able to partner with Watkins Glen International, and we’re gonna have an opportunity to race.”
Quattrone will compete in a race against 26 other Sheriff’s from around the state to raise money for the Sheriff’s Summer Camp at Cayuga Lake.
The camp provides more than 800 disadvantaged or high risk youths ages 9 through 12 each year with the opportunity to experience summer camp at no cost to their families. Last year, 15 kids from Chautauqua county were able to attend.
“It’s not only relationships with the law enforcement but the relationships with other campers. Really working with the campers to build confidence, and that confidence working as a team effort. There’s typical camp, they have a lot of water activities right on the lake. One young man came home from the camp and he had a target from his archery shooting, so he was pretty excited about that,” says Quattrone.
Sheriff Departments from around the state do presentations for the campers, including K-9 and scuba diving demos.
Quattrone sees the camp as an opportunity for campers to make lifelong friends and to introduce law enforcement as a career field.
“We really need to start showing them the great career field that this is. And it’s an opportunity to give back to your community, an opportunity to help individuals,” explains Quattrone.
Donations can be made before the showdown on October 13 and can be sent to the County Sheriff’s Office or directly to the New York State Sheriff’s Institute.
“Knowing Chautauqua County and the generosity we see in Chautauqua County, the other challenge I’ve put out there is to have Chautauqua County contribute the most in the camp. I’m setting a goal of $20,000 from Chautauqua County and we’re just under halfway there now, so I think we can achieve that,” says Quattrone.
The Sheriff says he is not only looking forward to competing against his peers but bonding with them as well.
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