UK Police Support Special Olympics With 'Cop on a Rooftop' Friday

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 18, 2017) — The University of Kentucky Police Department will participate in Cop on a Rooftop to benefit Special Olympics Kentucky from 6:30 a.m.–noon Friday, May 19, at Dunkin’ Donuts at 1306 S. Broadway in Lexington.

UK Police officers will be collecting donations in exchange for coupons for free donuts or coffee. All monetary donations collected will help provide financial support to Special Olympics Kentucky, a program that touches the lives of more than 8,300 athletes with intellectual disabilities in Kentucky.

This is the first year that Cop on a Rooftop is held at Dunkin’ Donuts in the state of Kentucky. Additionally, 12 Dunkin’ Donuts locations across the state will be holding a Cop on a Rooftop event on Friday, May 19. The UK Police Department is the only agency participating in Cop on a Rooftop at a Lexington location.

“The University of Kentucky Police Department is one of the most supportive law enforcement agencies for Special Olympics in the state of Kentucky,” said Steve McGill, Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run liaison. “We are very grateful for their continued assistance of our organization for the past 10 years.”

Cop on a Rooftop is the third Special Olympics fundraiser that the UK Police Department has participated in this year. They have raised over $4,500 through the Lexington Polar Plunge and Tip-A-Cop events that took place earlier in the year. UKPD is almost half-way to achieving their goal of raising $10,000 before the end of the year.

“I am very proud of the dedication from our officers, particularly in their compassion and support for those with physical or mental challenges,” said UKPD Chief Joe Monroe. “We have some of the most passionate officers who consistently take part in community service projects time and time again representing the core values of our organization.”

Law enforcement agencies have helped raise awareness of Special Olympics for more than 35 years through the Law Enforcement Torch Run campaign which is one of the largest grassroots fundraising movement for Special Olympics.

The UK Police Department, together with other local law enforcement agencies, will participate in the Torch Run in June for the Special Olympics Kentucky Summer Games at Eastern Kentucky University. UKPD is one of the few law enforcement agencies that will run with the torch in each location beginning in Frankfort and ending in Richmond.

Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals 8 years of age or older. Training and competition in local, area, state and national programs is offered yearround in Kentucky in 15 sports. In addition to its traditional sports competitions, Special Olympics also offers early childhood programming through the Young Athletes Program and medical screenings though the Healthy Athletes Initiative. Special Olympics Kentucky has been changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Kentucky for 47 years.