There’s a rivalry brewing within the ranks of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and there’s only one way to settle this grudge match – softball.

Members of the public are invited to watch the deputies who guard the jail take on the deputies who patrol the roads in the First Annual Bars vs. Cars charity game on Friday, Aug. 12 from 8-10 p.m. in Oxford’s Seymour Lake Township Park.

“There’s definitely going to be some friendly competition,” said Deputy Mark Chevalier, the event’s organizer and a member of the jail team. “We’re all Type-A personality men, so we don’t like to lose. But the ultimate goal is to raise money for the charity.”

Admission is $10 per person and all proceeds benefit the Oakland County Deputy Sheriff’s Association Children’s Benevolent Fund. Instead of tickets, attendees can purchase wristbands to get in. They’re available in advance by sending an email to mdchevalier@yahoo.com. They can also be purchased at the gate on game night.

Chevalier said the fund used to be strictly focused on helping families rebuild their lives after catastrophic events such as house fires.

But now, the emphasis is much more broad and the fund is dedicated to helping families who are struggling to pay the bills and provide the basics of life, he explained.

“Our road guys see it every day going into these houses and into these communities,” Chevalier said. “They’re dealing with families that don’t have much.”

As someone who’s now in his 20th year with the sheriff’s office, Chevalier feels “blessed” to have a steady job and good life, but he realizes “not everybody has that” and some folks are forced to decide between buying food and having health insurance.

The Children’s Benevolent Fund is financed by a mix of deputies’ union dues, donations and fund-raisers like this charity softball game.

The idea for Bars vs. Cars came from Royal Oak’s annual Guns and Hoses charity hockey game, which pits the city’s fire and police departments against each other. Proceeds from this year’s game, held back in April, benefited the family of fallen Michigan State Police Trooper Chad Wolf, who died in the line of duty in August 2015.

Watching that game got Chevalier thinking, “Why couldn’t we do something like that?”

Each team’s roster will consist of 12 deputies. Sheriff Mike Bouchard is scheduled to throw out the first pitch, while Lauri Lowe, who works in the Oxford Township Building Department, will sing the National Anthem.

Raffles, prizes and music will be part of the event. The Oxford Band Boosters will operate the concession stand during the game.

“They’re going to be able to make some money for the band,” Chevalier said.

Chevalier decided to hold the game in Oxford because he wanted it to be in one of the communities patrolled by the sheriff’s office.

“We have a vested interest in the community,” he said. “Oxford Township has been very good to us.”

In addition to generating funds for a worthy cause, Chevalier said the game is an opportunity to bolster the spirit of “camaraderie” within the sheriff’s office by helping deputies get to know each other better.

“We have grown so big (that) we all don’t get to see each other (on a regular basis),” explained Chevalier, who’s spent his entire career working in the jail. “There are guys I haven’t seen in 17 years.”

The game is also a way to show the public that despite the negative way law enforcement is often portrayed by major media outlets and despite the “hatred” some people feel for cops, officers are, by and large, good people, who don’t want to hurt others, according to Chevalier.

“We get into this business to help people and that’s what we want to do,” he said.

Chevalier encourages everyone to attend the game because ultimately, it will help their less-fortunate neighbors.

“The more the community helps us raise money, the more opportunities we have to give back to the community,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun, family-friendly event.”

When asked for a prediction, Chevalier replied, “I think that we’re going to take it, but I just hope it’s a good, fun game.”