Clearfield Twp. man fired up about Can-Am Games
Jim Reeder hopes his golf game is so hot that the 2024 Can-Am Police Fire Games organizers will have to call 911.
Reeder, of Clearfield Township, shined up his clubs to compete as a single player at the Butler Country Club and in a two-man scramble with his father at Cranberry Highlands Golf Course.
He carries an 8 handicap into the Can-Am Games, which showcases a week of various sports competitions with first responders from all over the United States and Canada.
“You always hope for the best,” Reeder said. “I think I should have a pretty good time.”
Reeder served as a firefighter at the Butler Bureau of Fire for 15 years, and is now a part-time dispatcher at the county 911 center.
His full-time job is director of safety and security at Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel.
Reeder recalled the Can-Am Games committee visiting Butler County to see if the area would be a sufficient place to hold the annual games.
“I had never heard of it until then,” he said.
Reeder is glad to participate, as he has always enjoyed sports. He played basketball at Butler high school before graduating in 2001, and participated in recreational baseball, bowling and golf, as well during his school years.
Reeder now officiates high school and college basketball, and has coached his children’s various sports teams.
“It’s a good opportunity to show off our different venues and the whole county, really,” he said of the Can-Am Games, “and we can always use tourism funding for our local businesses, too.”
Reeder has been looking forward to the Can-Am Games, and hopes county residents will attend its events.
“I just hope everyone has fun,” he said. “It should be a good time.”
Reeder is proud of his service as a city firefighter, and remembers the call that will always stay with him.
“There was a childbirth at home, and the baby was not breathing,” he said quietly. “We had to do CPR.”
He and other firefighters administered rescue measures, and the infant gained consciousness.
“It turned out well in the end, but that will stick with me,” Reeder said.
