Police to Serve Burgers For Charity on Saturday

Bowie police will trade in their handcuffs and badges for Red Robin burgers and aprons this Saturday as part of a national fundraiser for the Special Olympics.

The annual Tip-A-Cop event launched seven years ago as a partnership between Red Robin and the Law Enforcement Torch Run campaign, which holds a series of relay runs and special events to fundraise for the Special Olympics.

“With the help of participating law enforcement officials and the generosity of our guests who have made donations, we have provided more than $2 million to Special Olympics programs across the country,” said Red Robin president Eric Houseman in a press release.

This is the second year Bowie police have participated in the event.

"It's a fun event. People come and get a kick out of it and hopefully the officers get a kick out of it and it's for a good cause," said Bowie Police Chief John Nesky.

Maryland Red Robins raised more than $20,000 in 2011, and Linda Ellingswoth, a spokeswoman for Special Olympics Maryland, said she hopes to break that record this year.

"We expect to grow each year," Ellingswoth said. "I think we have more locations that are participating this year, and a lot more involvement from law enforcement overall."

The charity works year-round in the Free State to put on more than 30 events that include a variety of Olympic-type sports for persons eight years of age and older with intellectual disabilities, Ellingswoth said.

About eight or nine Bowie police officers, including Chief Nesky and Deputy Police Chief Dwayne Preston, will be serving up burgers and fries at the Red Robin at 15650 Excelsior Dr. in Bowie from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In addition to Bowie, 380 Red Robin restaurants in 39 states will participate on Saturday. All Maryland Red Robins will donate a portion of Saturday's proceeds, but only seven locations will have officers serving burgers. Police will be at locations in Annapolis, Columbia, Bel Air, Bowie, Germantown, Owings Mills and Waldorf.