K9 Fox, granted by Texas-based non-profit K9s4COPs, and Chief Jason Hepler with the Hollywood Police Department in Alabama go viral with MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine” Lip Sync Battle video and wins challenge hosted by the ATHOS Group.
Chief Hepler entered the challenge hosted by the ATHOS Group out of Irving, Texas. ATHOS Group provides nationwide off-duty police officer security services. The contest was to post departments best lip sync videos to the company’s Facebook page. The one with the most likes would be awarded with money to give to their favorite charity. After having friends, family, and fans vote for his video, Chief Hepler found out Monday he won $2,700 for his charity of choice.
“I choose K9s4COPs because I fully believe in their purpose and I know first handedly they use the money they generate to help police departments across the nation battle the drug problem, locate missing people, secure schools, reduce crime, enhance community relations, improve officer safety and the list goes on and on. At the root of it I know they are who they say they are because they have been there for me when I needed them the most,” says Chief Jason Hepler.
The video, originally posted by K9s4COPs on July 7, 2018, features Chief Jason Hepler along with K9 Fox singing “I Can Only Imagine”, Their Lip Sync Battle video went viral and now has over 14 million views.
K9s4COPs was founded in 2010 by Texas Philanthropist, Kristi Schiller, to fund the donations of highly trained K9s to law enforcement agencies and schools around the world. These donations offset the costs of budget cuts, which can deeply affect the K9 unit. In 2014, Schiller founded the initiative K9s4KIDs, which provides trained K9s to schools and universities. Currently, K9s4KIDs donated K9s protect over One million students on a daily basis.
Typically, each K9 can cost in range of $15,000 to a specialized K9 that can value in excess of $35,000. These essential tools are often the first to fall to department budget cuts. To date, K9s4COPs has granted over 200 K9s to law enforcement agencies and schools in the United States as well as internationally to Paris, France. K9s4COPs has aided in the removal of over $250 million worth of contraband off the street. K9s4COPs canines have confiscated more than 4,500 firearms, participated in 7,500 arrests and helped keep the peace in over 4,000 public demonstrations.
“K9s4COPs is truly amazed to see the support we have received after the video going viral. We want to thank the ATHOS Group for hosting the contest for the Lip Sync Battle and supporting all law enforcement. Every donation helps us to provide more K9s to law enforcement and schools around the United States,” said Kristi Schiller. “Crime doesn’t wait…why should you? We need your help.”
K9s4COPs is funded through private donations and community support. For more information on K9s4COPs and K9s4KIDs or to make a donation, please visit www.K9s4COPs.org.
