Bucs deliver tickets to local cops, firefighters

A Pirates contingent visited the Northern Regional Police Department in Pine Township on Friday morning, and their tour of the facility included a peek inside the holding cells. When pitcher David Bednar stepped behind the bars of one of them and sat down, quick-witted manager Derek Shelton joked, “If you don’t pitch well, this is what’s going to happen.”

Luckily, Bednar doesn’t have to worry about that. The 27-year-old righthander has saved 17 games for the Pirates this season, and he represented the team at the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles earlier this month.

Bednar, Shelton and representatives of the Pirates’ front office and Guardian Protection stopped by the Northern Regional Police Department to deliver tickets for Police and Firefighters Appreciation Night. That event will take place at PNC Park on Saturday when the Pirates host the Phillies at 7:05 p.m. ET.

As a “thank you” for making communities in and around Pittsburgh safer places to live and work, Guardian Protection purchased 4,000 tickets for Saturday’s game that have now been distributed to law enforcement officers and firefighters.

On Friday, the group led by Bednar and Shelton also visited the Berkeley Hills Fire Company and the Millvale Police and Fire Station. At each of the stops, they talked baseball, posed for photos and signed autographs -- and, most importantly, made sure to thank the police officers and firefighters for their dedication and service.

“It’s important to show our appreciation because they’re here for all of us and they do such great work for the community,” Bednar said. “A lot of the time, their service and the sacrifices they make go unnoticed. So we want to show them that we’re thankful, and we know we’re incredibly blessed to have such incredible people looking out for us. I’m enjoying the chance to meet them, and I’m thankful for everything that they do.”

“We’re fortunate to have this partnership with the Pirates, and through that, we were able to find a way to say ‘thank you’ to the police and firefighters,” said Kevin Bish, vice president of marketing and customer experience for Guardian Protection. “We’re handing out over 4,000 tickets for Saturday’s game as a way to show our appreciation.”

Guardian Protection is the presenting sponsor of Police and Firefighters Appreciation Night, and the fireworks show that will follow Saturday’s Phillies-Pirates contest.

The Northern Regional Police Department serves communities north of Pittsburgh, including Pine, Marshall, Bradford Woods and Richland. Senior patrolmen Mark Wolfe and Vincent Tedesco reported that the tickets were enthusiastically received by the officers.

“It’s greatly appreciated that they would do this for us. My family loves going down to PNC Park,” Wolfe said. “What a great program, and what great people we’ve got here with the Pirates organization and Guardian. We’re in a goofy world these days, but things like this make it a little better, knowing that what we do is appreciated.”

“Most of our officers are Pittsburgh born and raised, and I’ve been going to Pirate games for a long time,” added Tedesco, who will retire soon after 36 years as a police officer. “My grandfather took me to Forbes Field when I was five years old.

“What the Pirates are doing is fantastic, taking time to come here and show support for the police department. We, as a group, appreciate what they do for us. It shows that the police and the community can work together for the betterment of everyone.”