Thu, 2014-06-12 16:47
Event: Ventura Police Department to Participate in Annual “Tip-A-Cop” Fundraiser Benefiting Special Olympics of Ventura County 
Location: Romano’s Macaroni Grill, 4880 Telephone Rd., Ventura (805) 477-9925
Date/Time To Occur: Tuesday, June 17, 2014, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Officer(s) Involved: Ventura Police Department Officers
Narrative:
The Ventura Police Department (VPD) will again be sponsoring the Special Olympics “Tip-A-Cop” event on Tuesday, June 17, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Romano’s Macaroni Grill located at 4880 Telephone Rd. in Ventura (805) 477-9925.
Tip-A-Cop is a law enforcement fundraising event in which law enforcement officers assist with waiting tables at a local restaurant and collect “tip” donations for Special Olympics. More than a dozen restaurants and eight law enforcement agencies team up throughout the year in support of Tip-A-Cop with the goal being to collect as many donations as possible for Special Olympics of Ventura County.
For over twenty years VPD has been involved in the Tip-A-Cop program. This will be the first year Romano’s Macaroni Grill will be collaborating with VPD to host this event. Weencourage the public, and members of the media, to come and support the event by dining out and meeting local Special Olympics Athletes and Ventura Police Officers as they act as “celebrity servers,” while assisting Romano’s Macaroni Grill servers throughout the evening. While tips to restaurant servers are encouraged, envelopes will be provided to dining patrons so officers can accept tax-deductible donations. Officers will also be accompanied by Ventura County Special Olympics Athletes who help to serve food and sell t-shirts. Athletes are anxious to show off their medals and share their Special Olympics experiences.
“Last year we had a great event and a good time. We raised over $3,000 in tip donations for the Ventura County Special Olympics,” stated Officer Bernadette Compean who helps organize the Special Olympics Torch Run and Tip-A-Cop events for the VPD. “We look forward to another successful year and to our continued partnership with Special Olympics. We are also excited about our new partnership with Romano’s Macaroni Grill.”
For over twenty years, Ventura County law enforcement agencies have been raising tens of thousands of dollars annually allowing Special Olympics Ventura County to offer year round sports training and competition to over 700 individuals with intellectual disabilities, ages eight years and up, free of charge, in seventeen sports at over forty training sites throughout Ventura County.
For more information on this event, and Special Olympics of Ventura County, contact Officer Bernadette Compean at 805-339-4453, (bcompean@venturapd.org), or Special Olympics Regional Director Peggi Preston at 805-650-7717 (Ppreston@sosc.org).