“Boots ‘n’ Badges,” an afternoon fundraising celebration to benefit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, will be held at the beautiful Red River Ranch in Los Olivos on Saturday, May 13, from 2 to 5:30 p.m.

The event will feature up-close, live demonstrations by several Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputies including the bomb squad, K-9 and Mounted Enforcement units. Organizers also promise “joyous music, great vittles and beverages.”

Among the highlights planned for the event, the mounted unit will show how it trains its horses in crowd control techniques, the bomb squad will demonstrate its robot in action destroying a suspect package, and the K-9 unit will work its drug-sniffing and patrol dogs.

“Guests will be greeted with a specialty cocktail, enjoy a series of gourmet food stations, wine from Brick Barn Wine Estate, beer from Firestone Walker along with boot-stomping music from Los Angeles-based band Jambalaya West, plus they’ll receive a keepsake gift,” said event chairperson Suzanne Kramer-Morton.

“Attendees will also get to enjoy Red River Ranch, one of the most gorgeous ranches in our Valley,” she added. “We deeply appreciate ranch owners Al and Denise Frink’s personal involvement in hosting and participating in this event, donating the use of their beautiful property to benefit the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office and help us to protect our protectors.”

Aided by fellow Posse Board members Richard Kline, Sue Pohls, Jay Gerlach, Scott Biddinger and Posse Board Secretary Marianne Freeman, this highly anticipated event and its exclusive item auction will benefit the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse in its efforts to provide funds for items and equipment needed to help the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to help protect all Santa Barbara County residents.

In the recent past the Sheriff’s Posse has helped the Sheriff’s Office obtain much needed emergency equipment including COVID-19 personal protection equipment, protective vests, night vision goggles, specialized weapons, computer equipment, drug sniffing and patrol/tracking/bomb/explosive dogs, a headquarters barn for its Mounted Enforcement Unit and specialized equipment for its dive team. It has also supported the highly effective D.A.R.E. program in North County elementary schools, teaching students to develop good decision-making skills and understanding the harmful effects of substance abuse, bullying and violence.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation with all contributions tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code.

Tickets are $125 each, or $800 for a table for eight. For more information about the Boots ‘n’ Badges event or the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, please visit its website at www.sbsheriffsposse.org.