With lights flashing and spectators watching, Evanston police officers took to the roof of a west side doughnut shop Friday morning.
There were no victims, no suspects and police managed to confiscate the money. It wasn’t a crime scene.
Instead, police pulled in more than $2,000 for Special Olympics Illinois in the sixth annual “Cop on Top” fundraiser at Dunkin’ Donuts, 1900 Dempster St., said patrol officer Heidi Bernhardt, co-chairwoman of the event. That broke the old record of $1,700.
“We’re taking donations to either keep (the officers) up there or get them down,” said Bernhardt, pointing to a grinning officer on the roof. “Basically they kind of hang out up there.”
About 30 members of the Evanston Police Department participated in the event, which lasted from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. While some officers were perched on the roof, others stood at the entrance to the store, asking customers to donate.
Police put up a table, signs and banners in front of the store to advertise the event, and parked a squad car with its lights flashing on the lawn between the store and the busy intersection.
But what attracted the most attention were the officers on the roof.
“Initially, we thought it was a stakeout,” said Dawn Futris, 43. “It got our attention.”
Futris, a resident of Rogers Park, had been at a GameStop store with her son Dmitri. The pair was driving past the doughnut shop when they saw the strange sight and decided they had to stop and donate.
“It was actually pretty freaky,” Dmitri, 12 said. “I’m not entirely sure what Special Olympics is, but apparently it’s something important because (police) are on the roof.”
Because of the chilly weather, there were not as many donors Friday as there were in years past, said officer Tanya Noble, the other co-chairwoman of the event. But the donors were giving more than ever, she said.
“People give from the heart when they give to Special Olympics,” she said. “Literally, you ask, ‘Would you like to make a contribution?’ and then you say, ‘For Special Olympics,’ and they reach deeper into their pockets because it’s such a great cause.”
Special Olympics Illinois, the “charity of choice for the Illinois law enforcement community,” is a $2 million charity that allows individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in a variety of athletic events, said Ann Kisting, the group’s vice president of marketing and development.
The program allows more than 21,000 Illinois athletes to participate in 170 competitions in 19 sports, from basketball to figure skating. Thousands of Illinois police officers will participate in the “Torch Run,” carrying a torch into the stadium of the Summer Olympics in Normal, Ill. in June.
“It’s very humbling and gratifying to see them do this for our athletes,” said Kisting, who attended the Evanston fundraiser. “These police officers are putting it on the line for us, and we’re thrilled.”
The event also attracted a few celebrities, including Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald and Little Miss Illinois Hailey Benoit.
Hailey, who won the award two months ago, was particularly good at getting people to donate, said her mother, Linda Jackson.
“It helps the athletes compete, and it’s a great program for them,” said Jackson, a retired Evanston police officer. “The athletes and their families have been through so much, I think it’s nice to do something for them.”
