Lee Greenwood, Dog the Bounty Hunter headline second 'Party for the Police'

Nov. 29—CHAMPAIGN — Mega Events Auctions is bringing a refreshed slate of celebrities to headline its second annual "Party for the Police" event Saturday.

Singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood will perform his signature track "God Bless the U.S.A." and possibly belt out Christmas tunes to close his tour. Actor Michael Winslow, known for playing Larvell Jones in the "Police Academy" series, will again host the police-support fundraiser.

But one new name on the guest list — Duane Chapman, a.k.a. Dog the Bounty Hunter — is drawing more attention than any other.

"We were looking for entertainment value, fun value," said auctioneer Johnny Namoff of the addition. "He's still a reality star icon, and there's a lot more to him than meets the eye.

"It's something you don't get in Champaign every day."

Mega Events Auctions, led by Champaign entrepreneur Mike Namoff of This Is It Furniture, began planning its next charitable auction-and-raffle fest to rally around police as soon as the last one ended.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will help fund Champaign's Shop With a Cop program, where children cross Christmas gifts off their wish lists alongside local police officers.

Proceeds from last year's event helped sponsor officer-accompanied shopping trips for about 50 kids.

This year, the event's 500 tickets sold out in three hours, Namoff said. Between 100 and 150 current and former police officers will be in attendance on Saturday at the Carmon's venue in Champaign. The Namoffs hope to raise $30,000 by night's end.

"We can't wait to do it again," Johnny Namoff said.

Also making paid appearances: Former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, retired Chicago Bears defensive lineman and Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, and Robert O'Neill, the former U.S. Navy Seal who claims to have killed al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden.

"This is not a political party at all, it's strictly a party to celebrate the police, raise the issue of safety in the community, and say 'thank you' to the officers who put their lives on the line for us every day," Namoff said.