The Pacific Lutheran men's and women's basketball programs presented checks totaling nearly $4,000 this week to benefit families of police officers killed November 29 in a coffee-shop shooting in Parkland, Washington.

Representatives of the teams presented checks totaling $3,958.40 to the Lakewood (Washington) Police Independent Guild. Four Lakewood police officers – Sergeant Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and Greg Richards – were killed by a man who entered the shop and opened fire.

Pacific Lutheran’s basketball teams raised the money through donations and sales of merchandise and concessions during a men's basketball game December 12 against Northwest University, which donated $500 toward the cause. Members of the women’s basketball team took donations at the door and also sold commemorative T-shirts, while members of Pacific Lutheran's student-athlete advisory committee sold concessions.

Men’s basketball coach Steve Dickerson, women's coach Kelly Robinson, and players Gabe Smith and Jordan Westering made the presentation to Lakewood Police Department patrol officer Jeremy Vahle, who also serves as the police guild’s vice president. The teams’ representatives also gave Vahle several large cards signed by Northwest University students, faculty and staff.

“They wanted to do something to help,” Dickerson said of the basketball players’ initial response to hearing about the shootings.