Customers at Applebee’s in Sedalia had some extra servers Thursday evening, all in the name of a good cause.
Members of the Sedalia Police Department paired up with waiters and waitresses at Applebee’s to help deliver drinks, greet customers and clean tables at the crowded restaurant for a few hours in hopes of receiving additional tips to go toward Special Olympics Missouri. This marked the fourth year SPD hosted the Tip-A-Cop event with Applebee’s to support the organization.
SPD Cmdr. Larry Ward said Special Olympics is an unofficial philanthropy for law enforcement, and he’s been involved since he joined the SPD force 29 years ago.
“I’ve coached men’s basketball for about eight years, but my involvement started 29 years ago,” Ward said Friday. “The department was involved in the Torch Run and I was recruited to do it. When you’re around those folks, you don’t have a bad day, even in competition. When they fall down, someone stops to help pick them up and pat them on the back. We lose with grace, win with grace. It does as much for me as it does for them, it truly does.”
Sandy Goff, administrative assistant at SPD, helps coordinate the department’s fundraising efforts. When it comes to getting volunteers, Ward said it’s easy.
“We don’t have to do a lot of arm pulling — these guys work 12 hour shifts, they’re tired when they get home, it’s hard to get them to do extra-curriculars,” Ward said. “For this, we had more people coming out than we had waitresses to work with. That’s a good problem to have.”
Their efforts netted about $1,800, Ward said, with a few more pledges still coming in. Ward noted that those funds didn’t take away from the wait staff’s tips, it was extra money donated by customers.
A few of the customers in attendance included Ward’s athletes and their families. While Ward coaches basketball, Special Olympics also offers a variety of other sports. Most programs are year-round, whether it’s practicing or playing in a game or tournament.
“The money we raise at any of our fundraisers stays in the Central Missouri area,” Ward said. “No fees are kept out of that. It stays right here and those athletes don’t have to pay to participate at all. When we go to state tournaments, rooms, meals are paid for. Fundraisers like this keep it that way.”
