The OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by members of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. We are dedicated to supporting members of local law enforcement and their families during times of need or hardship as a means of giving back to those that work so hard serving our community. We also support activities, charities, and worthwhile causes that benefit our community by providing labor and financial support and assistance.
Our organization is not taxpayer funded. We are supported entirely by community donations and contributions from individual employees of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Our Board of Directors, which is comprised of Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office members who volunteer their time to accomplish the Charity's mission, is responsible for collectively determining how these funds are utilized to best support those in need.
The five points on our logo represent the primary focus points of our organization:
Law Enforcement Officers
Animals/Environment
Children & Families
Local & National Charities
Food Banks
Join Sheriff Eric Aden and the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity on Friday, April 26, 2024, for a thrilling day of marksmanship and fun at the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches Clay Shoot Fundraiser in Holt, Florida! All proceeds from the event will benefit the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches.
Chick-fil-A of Destin recently hosted “Chicken with a Cop” and donated 10% of their sales for the day to the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity! OCSO‘s Community Resource Deputies and other specialized units were on hand for the chance to interact with our amazing community! Hats off to Chick-fil-A for supporting first responders and the OCSO Sheriff’s Star Charity!
Our primary mission is to help support local law enforcement officers and their families during times of need or hardship. We have helped dozens of law enforcement families with direct benevolent and financial assistance during serious illnesses or injuries, casualties, and other unforeseen hardships.
Since our organization was founded in 2014, we have helped raise funds for the families of three fallen Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputies to help relieve the financial burdens the families endured as they focused on coping and healing from their tragic losses. This includes the families of fallen Deputy Sheriff Bill Myers, Deputy Sheriff Michael Neau, and Corporal Ray Hamilton.
In 2015, Deputy Myers was shot and killed while serving a domestic violence injunction in Shalimar. In 2021, Deputy Neau passed away unexpectedly from complications as a result of an illness contracted while working at the OCSO Booking Facility. Then, on Christmas Eve 2022, Corporal Hamilton was shot and killed while on the perimeter of the home of a barricaded domestic violence suspect in Fort Walton Beach.
When you support the OCSO Sheriff's Star Charity, you are also helping to support other vetted, worthwhile causes in our community. We are proud to support a variety of organizations and causes with honorable missions that benefit our community. We host an “Annual Giving Meeting” each year where organizations in our community give presentations about their cause to our Board of Directors and receive financial contributions.
Some of the organizations we support include:
You'll find our members providing labor assistance for community projects and events throughout the year. Additionally, we regularly provide financial support for worthwhile events and causes that benefit our community.
One well-known annual event we’re involved in is the “Hospice Tree” program. Every year, we purchase miniature Christmas trees which are given out to be decorated. Once complete, the decorated trees are given to Emerald Coast Hospice patients throughout our community. Patients are able to brighten their rooms and spirits during the Holiday season.
We also partner with the OCSO School Resource Officers during the annual "Angel Tree" program where SROs identify students in their schools whose families may be facing financial hardship. The program ensures each child is sponsored to provide gifts and have a brighter Holiday.
We host several fundraising events with proceeds benefitting our organization's mission. This includes the annual Outlaw 2 Gun Match hosted by ALTUS Shooting Solutions in Baker, Florida. This competition focuses on marksmanship precision and time-capped stages and attracts shooters from across the Florida Panhandle and beyond.
In 2024, we held our first Winter Pickleball Blast fundraiser. This action-packed weekend of pickleball fun was a resounding success and drew a crowd of competitors and spectators from all over.
Another popular fundraiser is our annual 30 for 30 Gun Giveaway. Starting every October, Charity members offer tickets with a suggested $30 donation. Tickets are drawn every day for 30 days in December and we give away a different gun each day.
OCSO Sheriff's Star Charity
P.O. Box 944 | Shalimar, FL 32579
Copyright © 2024 | OCSO Sheriff's Star Charity | All Rights Reserved.