From 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., select members of law enforcement stood outside Chick-fil-A on a drizzling Saturday in effort to raise money in support of Special Olympics of Kentucky. This is the second year that Cops on a Coop has been hosted at the local eatery. While a little bit of rain didn’t deter participants from supporting the cause, it did keep them from standing on the roof.
“I’ve been standing in the rain for most of the day,” said Sergeant Jim Wyatt of the Daviess County Detention Center. “We can’t stand on the roof this year because of the rain.”
Normally, the members of law enforcement who volunteer their time to Cops on a Coop stand on the roof in an attention-grabbing effort to get more cars to pull in and, hopefully, donate to the cause. However, the rain made for a slippery roof this year, so members of Owensboro Police Department and DCDC put on their rain jackets and focused their efforts on the drive-thru line instead.
Chick-fil-A offered up more than their location toward the cause. Customers who donated to the Special Olympics of Kentucky were given coupons in exchange for their philanthropy.
“We can give them a card for a free shake, or if you’re a larger donor we’ll give you a free meal coupon,” Wyatt said.
According to Wyatt, he and colleagues chose Chick-fil-A because of their high volume of customers.
“Outside of the weather, it’s been very, very busy,” said OPD Public Information Officer, Andrew Boggess, who worked the event the year before as well.
Beth Wyatt with the Fraternal Order of Police said people may not realize it, but every penny counts when it comes to supporting causes like the Special Olympics of Kentucky.
“When we did it last year, people who didn’t have cash would tell you, ‘Oh, all I’ve got is some change,’” Beth said. “But we raised almost $400 in just change. We like to tell everybody everything counts, it all adds up. If people think, ‘Oh, I don’t have $5, $10 or $20 — every little bit adds up.”
The four members of law enforcement said they’d received a variety of donations throughout the day. One car with four adults inside donated $10 each, and Boggess said he’d received several $20 donations during the seven hours he’d been collecting.
“We could not do this without, one, the officers and deputies helping out and, two, Chick-fil-A and the community,” Beth said. “Our community has always been great about helping our citizens with special needs.”
Local officers and deputies will continue supporting the program in the spring. Each year, members of law enforcement volunteer to work the regional and statewide Special Olympics Summer Games, handing out the awards and medals to those who compete.
