Probation Staff Participated in Shop with a Cop with R-Hoops
Published: January 02, 2025
On Saturday, December 14, 2024, we had the privilege of participating in R-Hoops 3rd Annual “Shop with a Cop” event at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Santa Rosa. Ten kids from the Sonoma County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association Basketball program attended the event. Each athlete was paired with an officer. Patrol Deputies, Correctional Deputies, and Community Service Officers from the Sheriff’s Office attended, and we were fortunate to send Deputy Probation Officer, Heidi Olvera, from our Adult Division to represent the Probation Department.
“R-Hoops is a Roseland based basketball program focused on offering Southwest Santa Rosa youths an opportunity to play basketball in a positive and safe environment with Law Enforcement employees.
Each summer R-Hoops will be offered a basketball camp Monday through Friday nights for two weeks where they practice and play at a Roseland School Gym. The program will provide approximately sixty to seventy-five youths between the ages of 10 and 16 years. This gives them a chance to stay out of gangs, away from drugs, off the streets, and helps reduce teen violence in the community. The program is completely free to participants, as many of the children come from low-income families. Local community members started the program as open gym basketball 28 years ago. In June of 1997 members of the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office took the leadership role in the program the past 27 years.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office provides one coordinator, for the program. Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney's Office, and the community also volunteer their time. Their involvement provides the children with positive role models. The volunteers assist with coaching and supervising.
In addition to the basketball program, the volunteer staff coordinates an Annual Christmas Toy Drive and giveaway for the R-Hoops participants.
R-Hoops is sponsored by The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, and community leaders.” -Frank Cooper, Sonoma County Deputy Sheriff (Retired) and R-Hoops Coordinator.
