On the left, Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen, on lead guitar and vocals, got together with Troy Dunn, Rice County sheriff (percussion and vocals), Rick Fiedler, Wilkin County sheriff (rhythm guitar and vocals), Scott McNurlin, Goodhue County sheriff (drums) and Scott Rose, Dodge County sheriff (bass guitar) to form a band that performed in Brainerd and raised $2,502 for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
Five of Minnesota’s standing sheriffs performed a live concert at the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) annual Summer Conference at Cragun’s Resort in Brainerd, Minn., and turned the performance into an opportunity to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics.
The band performed a two-hour show for the nearly 200 conference attendees, and by suggesting a voluntary nominal per person donation, managed to raise $2,502 from other sheriffs, spouses and conference vendors. One hundred percent will go to support the cause near and dear to the hearts of law enforcement.
The band, affectionately branded The Brasshholes, consists of sheriffs from all corners of the state and includes: Troy Dunn, Rice County sheriff – percussion and vocals; Pat Eliasen, Cook County sheriff – lead guitar and vocals; Rick Fiedler, Wilkin County sheriff – rhythm guitar and vocals; Scott McNurlin, Goodhue County sheriff— Drums; and Scott Rose, Dodge County sheriff— bass.
The law enforcement leaders banded together for their first performance last December at the MSA’s winter conference, after it was learned that each of the sheriffs also had musical talents. The debut concert was a hit among attendees, demanding an encore performance at the summer conference. Performances included rock and country favorites.
The group couldn’t disappoint their colleagues and also wanted to use their talents to support the Special Olympics. The Brassholes, with the support of the MSA, saw this as a perfect opportunity to come together as an association and do a little more for the LETR in a unique way.
“This was really a triple win,” said Bill Hutton, executive director of the Minnesota Sheriff ’s Association. “The band, who volunteer their time nonetheless, delivers fantastic entertainment for the delegation, has built amazing camaraderie through music which is a great outlet for these sheriffs, combined with the fact that they saw this as an opportunity to support Special Olympics athletes, speaks to true leadership.”
To increase the contribution, the band also auctioned off memorabilia including guitar picks, wigs, bandanas etc., garnering about $1,200 of the total for the cause.
The LETR for Special Olympics engages law enforcement worldwide championing acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities, starting first with their own communities. Over the years, the Torch Run has evolved and now encompasses a variety of innovative fundraising platforms to include Plane Pulls, Polar Plunges, Tip- A-Cops, and more. Since inception, LETR has raised more than half a billion dollars and changed millions of attitudes.
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