Hays law enforcement gives 120 ‘different’ tickets before the holidays

HPD Cpl. Harold Anderson and Victor E. Tiger give unsuspecting patrons at the Hays Mall season tickets to FHSU basketball games Monday afternoon.

By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

The Hays Police Department and the Ellis County Sheriff’s Department are giving out plenty of tickets this week, but these are the kind making the recipients smile.

The tickets are 60 pairs of season tickets to the remaining Fort Hays State University Basketball games–a value of $180.

On Monday, Hays PD officers, accompanied by FHSU mascot Victor E. Tiger, surprised random patrons at the Mall in Hays by approaching them in uniform and offering the tickets–usually followed by a hug or high-five from Victor himself.

HPD FHSU — Victor E. Tiger hugs a Hays Mall patron who just received a pair of FHSU season basketball tickets delivered by the Hays Police Department, courtesy of Fort Hays State University and Eagle Communications.

HPD Cpl. Harold Anderson said the promotion has been fun.

“The reaction has been real good,” Anderson said. “I am really happy with the way people are acting around us–they are kind of surprised to get a different type of ticket from us.”

Marshall Kitchen, Hays, said he was surprised to see the HPD officers approaching him.

“These (tickets) are much nicer than the ones we usually get,” Kitchen said with a smile.