Some 15 volunteers from the Forest Park Police Department stood on the rooftop of Dunkin’ Donuts for seven hours on May 17, raising awareness and dollars for Special Olympics Illinois.
Detective Mike O’Connor estimated this was the sixth year Forest Park has participated in the annual “Cop on a Rooftop” fundraiser, saying that the department raised about $2,900 for the disability advocacy organization, slightly less than the $3,200 from last year.
“I think the spotty weather kept some foot traffic away, but I am very happy with what the people of Forest Park and surrounding areas donated,” O’Connor wrote in an email.
In June, the department will continue raising money for Special Olympics Illinois through a torch run — a several-leg, multi-departmental race that winds through the state and ends in Springfield, where the Special Olympics are held. In September, officers will also gather at O’Hare International Airport for the Plane Pull, where they will race other first-responders in pulling a real airplane down a runway.
Residents who want to donate to Special Olympics Illinois can visit the Forest Park police station or online at specialolympics.org.
Nona Tepper
