$20,000 has been raised for the Berrien County Firefighters Association and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department with this year’s 2026 Benefit Car Show, held on June 27 at Maiden Lane Community Park in St. Joseph Township.
For over a decade now, the two organizations have teamed up for the show to raise funds that are divided equally between them.
Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit this week was presented with a $10,000 check representing the portion of the proceeds going to his office. Heit tells us it’s always a pleasure to team up with the Berrien County Firefighters Association.
“It’s a great opportunity for public safety to work together, but also raise some money for some needed training and equipment for both the sheriff’s office and the firefighters association,” Heit said.
Heit says the sheriff’s department splits the funds between its Mounted Unit and Reserve Unit.
“I know we’re looking to do an outer carrier vest for the reserve unit. We just did helmets for the mounted unit, so there’s equipment that we are able to get for them. They do great work and volunteer a lot of hours for helping keep our community safe, and it’s a great way to help get the equipment.”
Heit says both units are comprised of dedicated volunteers who give their time to serve the community.
The Berrien County Firefighters Association will use its portion of the proceeds to provide firefighter training and maintain the burn trailer, which is used to train firefighters throughout the county.
