Boots, Buckles & Badges

Boots and cowboy hats replace black ties at Boots, Buckles and Badges, an annual western-themed gala that turns one night of dinner, entertainment and fundraising into year-round support throughout Lake County.

The gala hosted by Lake County Sheriff’s Charities at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Eustis brings together community members, business leaders and law enforcement for an evening of western attire, dinner, live entertainment and spirited live and silent auctions.

Behind the fun is a noble purpose that reaches far beyond one night.

Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell established the charity after taking office in 2017 to create a way to respond when needs arise that traditional funding sources sometimes cannot cover.

“Just wherever there’s a youth need in our community, we’re able to step in,” Sheriff Grinnell says.

That has meant supporting Project Kid Connect, Shop with a Cop and the Bass Tournament Youth Beneficiary Fund, as well as school programs, ROTC and other youth activities. When a local school band needed travel funding to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the charity stepped in to help.

Each Christmas, “Shop with a Cop” pairs more than 100 children identified by the school district with law enforcement officers for a shopping trip. The children receive $100 gift cards, but Sheriff Grinnell says deputies frequently reach into their own wallets to spend a little more.

The charity can also respond by providing financial assistance during serious illness, tragedy and other times of need when members of the sheriff’s office and their families face extraordinary circumstances.

Boots, Buckles and Badges helps make that work possible, and its fundraising impact has grown considerably. Sheriff Grinnell says the charity netted $117,000 in its first year and approximately $181,000 in 2025.

Because the organization has no paid employees and volunteer board members, he says 95 cents of every dollar donated goes directly toward its mission.

For the sheriff, the success of the annual gala represents something larger than the money raised.

“I think it’s really good that a sheriff’s office not only is protecting the community, but is also supporting the community in which they live and serve,” he says.