Merced County Sheriff's Office heads to presidential inauguration

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The 2nd statesmanlike inauguration of Donald J. Trump is little than 3 weeks distant and hundreds of thousands are expected to be the 47th Presidential Inauguration ceremonial and parade.

This year, the Merced County Sheriff’s Posse was selected to attend.

"Oh, wow, you're going to marque maine cry, it's an honor, it's an implicit honor," said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke.

But this isn't their archetypal rodeo; this volition beryllium the Posse's 4th inaugural parade and the 2nd for Sheriff Warnke, representing not lone the Central Valley, but besides the Golden State.

"The friendships I person with the sheriffs up and down this vale is, it's precise deep, and to cognize that they're allowing maine to instrumentality their colors to this and to amusement President Trump that California sheriffs enactment him and to beryllium determination astatine this level is conscionable similar I say, words astir can't picture it, what I'm feeling," Warnke said.

The sheriff's bureau volition nonstop 12 Palomino horses and 35 members to the nation's capital. While this comes with a batch of pride, it besides comes with a large terms tag, with the horses being the biggest cost.

"The horses are our fig 1 priority, arsenic I ever say, they spell archetypal class, we spell coach," said Laurette Locke, Captain of the Merced County Sheriff's Posse.

This Sunday, the Posse volition big a fundraiser at the Merced Elks Lodge connected M Street.

"From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., $20 to get in," Warnke said.

The lawsuit includes nutrient and raffle prizes, to assistance money the trip.

"And if everybody knows who I am, I'm a staunch Second Amendment supporter, truthful you tin recognize wherever we're headed with that," Warnke said.

But, those funny tin besides donate electronically oregon via checks. 

"We could usage it, and similar I say, we'll bash you arrogant to get determination and correspond well," Warnke said.

For much accusation connected the Jan. 5 fundraiser oregon to purchase tickets, click here. You tin besides donate via GoFundMe oregon via Venmo: @Theposse1948.