CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Ross County’s law enforcement, fire and highway patrol agencies will square off on the softball diamond Saturday for the fourth annual “Cuffs N’ Hoses” game, a fundraiser benefiting a foundation that covers the cost of mental health care for first responders.
The game is set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Yoctangee Park, next to the Chillicothe city pool, the Chillicothe Police Department said in a Facebook post. The event was originally scheduled for an earlier date and moved to Oct. 3.
Officers and deputies from the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Chillicothe Police Department will join Chillicothe and Ross County fire and EMS crews for the softball game, along with police, fire and military equipment displays, according to the post. Texas Roadhouse will serve hamburgers and hot dogs, with pop and water also available. The event is free, with donations accepted.
Proceeds benefit the Kocheran Strong Foundation, which covers the full cost of mental health treatment for first responders, including co-pays and entire bills for those without insurance, so officers, firefighters and paramedics do not have to weigh getting care against the cost. The foundation conducts appointments by telehealth and assigns clients numbers rather than using their names to protect their privacy, according to the organization. It also extends support to first responders’ families and has worked to include hospital nurses, tow truck drivers and military veterans among those it serves.
The foundation was started by retired Ross County sheriff’s Sgt. Eric Kocheran, who was shot in the line of duty in November 2022 while responding to a call at the back door of the Ross County Sheriff’s Office. Kocheran spent 27 days in the hospital, including eight in a coma, and later retired from law enforcement for health reasons. He has said he waited roughly eight months to see a therapist after the shooting and started the foundation so other first responders would not face the same delay in getting care.
The softball game began in the months after Kocheran’s shooting as a one-time event pitting local police against fire departments and has grown into an annual tradition now in its fourth year.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Chillicothe Police Department and the Kocheran Strong Foundation.
