“The need to support our injured Marines has never been greater,” said Wendy Lethin, the Director of Community Relations and Co-Founder of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. You can support our Marines in need and have a lot of fun in the process by cheering for the San Diego Enforcers.

J.J. Carrell Throws

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The Enforcers is a San Diego tackle football team comprised of a diverse group of local law enforcement and firefighter agencies. They compete in the National Public Safety Football League (NPSFL). Each year the Enforcers pick a charity to which the proceeds of their games are donated. For the third year in a row they have chosen the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

According to Lethin, “Since the fund was founded in 2004, it has donated over $28,000,000 to over 3,000 Marines.” Initially these grants enable injured Marines and Navy sailors’ families to stay with them at the hospital. When they transition out of the hospital and go home or back to their units, the fund helps meet their needs for readjusting to living with an injury.

Lethin went on to explain, “Those with severe disabilities may need modifications to their home or vehicle giving them independence and a better quality of life. Or, in the case of traumatic brain injuries, may need specialized equipment. Many with brain injuries have short term memory loss, so a PDA is a wonderful solution. It helps them remember appointments as well as getting them there because GPS is loaded. We also help with computers as they go back to school to retrain for another career.”

It is through the support of private individuals and outstanding organizations such as the San Diego Enforcers that enable the Sempra Fi Fund to continue to provide grants to injured Marines and Navy sailors in need.

According to the Enforcers Team Manager Jason Sullivan, “The Enforcers are both an old team and a new team.” The Enforcers are a spin off from a long tradition of San Diego law enforcement officers playing tackle football for charitable causes. Prior to 1997, the San Diego Sheriff and Police Departments played each other in the annual Copper Bowl, a charity tackle football game held at what is now Qualcomm Stadium.

When the NPSFL was founded in 1997, the Sheriff team decided to join as one of the six founding members. They realized that if they wanted to compete against squads from larger cities like New York, they would have to open up the San Diego team to all branches of law enforcement including police, firefighters, paramedics, and the state correctional officers. In 1998 this team evolved into the San Diego Enforces, now one of twenty-two teams in the NPSFL

Due to a lack of funds the Enforcers dropped out of the NPSFL early in the 2000 season. However, since their reemergence in 2007 they have quickly become one of the dominant teams in the NPSFL. Last year the Enforcers won 5 games and only lost 1. This year they have already won their first game against the Orange County Lawmen 35-0.

Adrian Moses makes a tackle

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A large reason why the Enforcers have quickly become so competitive is they are a group of guys who love football and are extremely dedicated to playing the game to the best of their ability. According to Enforcers Coach Brian Salmon, “The Enforcers are a group of heroes who love football. Many of the guys come to practice at 7:00 AM after working a ten hour shift that they finished at 6:00 AM.”

The Enforcers are also very aware that by playing football they improve the overall image of law enforcement and public safety officers to youths in the community. Sullivan commented, “The Enforcers expose a lot of kids from the inner city to law enforcement in a positive way. A lot of them do not have the best view of cops because they have been told that we are the bad guys. This gives them an opportunity to see us play a competitive game in a sport that they like and hopefully they realize that we are the good guys because we are doing it for charity.”

Despite the fact that the Enforcers play a quality, fast-paced, hard-hitting game of tackle football and the proceeds of their events go to the Semper Fi Fund, they have not yet realized the support they should be getting from the San Diego sports community. Typically only about 2,000 fans show up to support the Enforcers at any one game. Their venue, Cathedral Catholic High School, can seat over 5,000.

The low attendance can be attributed largely to the fact that Enforcers team is relatively new. You can help change that by coming out to their games. Their next game will be played Saturday, March 7 at 4:00 PM against the Atlanta Defenders. Tickets are available for only $10 at the gate and children under the age of 12 are free.

For directions to Cathedral Catholic High School in Carmel Valley and to see the Enforcers’ complete schedule, visit their web site at: http://www.sandiegoenforcers.com/.

If you cannot come to a game but would like to contribute directly to the Semper Fi Fund, visit their web site at: http://www.semperfifund.org/.