After seeing the popularity of breast cancer awareness patches during the Real Men Wear Pink challenge, Owensboro Police Department has decided to sell autism awareness patches to fundraise for Puzzle Pieces’ Lip Sync Battle set for January.
OPD Sergeant Adam Johnston who has represented the police department in the previous two Lip Sync Battles, believes the puzzle pieces design for autism awareness is a perfect fit for the benefiting organization.
“As soon as I saw it, I said ‘That’s it, done deal,’” Johnston said.
With approval from the police chief, Johnston had 100 patches made and plans to sell them for $10, with all proceeds going to Puzzle Pieces. Just receiving the shipment over the weekend, Johnston said there is already a demand for the patches.
“Not just in the law enforcement community, but they are a huge collector’s item,” Johnston said. “Law enforcement officials across the country and across the world trade patches, so I knew that they would go through that method. But just the support for Puzzle Pieces and the support for autism has created the demand for them just here locally.”
Johnston said that OPD has raised just over $1,000 each year for Puzzle Pieces through the organization’s lip sync event where the police department battles the Owensboro Fire Department. In 2018, OPD won the competition, but in 2019 OFD took the trophy.
“We felt like we needed to give them the opportunity to win, so we let them win last year,” Johnston joked. “But we plan on bringing the trophy back to OPD in January.”
Johnston, who will be performing in the 2020 competition, offered no hints on OPD’s routine or song selection.
“The suspense is part of the fun,” he said.
While the competition with the fire department is entertaining, Johnston said OPD’s main reason for participating is to support Puzzle Pieces, an organization that he says does so much for Owensboro.
“Their values and their mission goes hand in hand with helping the community just like the police department’s,” he said. “Any way that we can help better the community and the members we protect, we’re going to be on board.”
Johnston said anyone that wants a patch can contact OPD at 270-687-8888 and ask for him. Supply is limited.
