Special
Olympics Maryland (SOMD) is a year-round sports organization dedicated to
providing quality sports training and competition opportunities to Maryland’s
children and adults with intellectual disabilities and/or closely related
development disabilities. SOMD currently provides thousands of sports
experiences annually for athletes statewide, and offers 24 sports, all at no
cost to the athletes or their families.
For more information about SOMD visit www.somd.org or call 410-242-1515.
See also: Cops on Rooftops fundraiser for Special Olympics a
great success
$8,332.00 raised in 30 hours in an event full of good humor
for a worthy cause
By Kevin Dayhoff Posted 9/29/2010
A rested Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding gave a
report on the recent “Cops on Rooftops” fundraising event at the Westminster mayor and
common council meeting last Monday.
He looked none the worse for wear after spending over 30
hours perched on the roof of the Dunkin' Donuts, on Route 140 in Westminster last Saturday
and Sunday.
After the obligatory humor about cops and doughnuts,
Spaulding confessed that he was proud that he only ate two doughnuts in the 30
hours he spend with his colleague, Lt. Andrew Winner, commander of the Maryland
State Police Westminster barrack, raising money for Special Olympics Athletes.
“Well, we endured the heat, the cold, the wind, and the
rain, but the fundraiser was a great success.
We raised well in excess of our $5,000 goal for Special Olympics last weekend…”
The total came to $8,332.00, said Spaulding with some pride
and a bit of subdued amazement that they surpassed their goal by so much.
At 9:30 last Saturday night the two intrepid police officers
had already raised over $3,500.00 when Explore Carroll visited to check their
progress (and their welfare.)
“It’s going well,” said Spaulding over the sounds of the
radio playing and the steady stream of well-wishers from below. Up on the rooftop, Winner and Spaulding had
nested quite well, with lawn chairs, food, and an awning overhead set-up to
provide all the comforts of home – on a highway store rooftop, that is.
How Spaulding only ate two doughnuts is amazing since their
rooftop digs were constantly bombarded with the aromas of doughnuts being made
in the store below.
“Oh, geeze, what’s that?
It’s apple. I think they are now
making something with apples” (in the store below,) lamented Spaulding at one
point. “Oh man, this is torture,” he
laughed as he traded words of encouragement with Winner not to eat too many
doughnuts throughout the evening.
Of course, both Winner and Spaulding are athletes themselves
and do not look like they eat too many doughnuts. “Look at this guy,” Spaulding said of Winner
last Saturday night.
“Does he look like he eats a lot of doughnuts?”
"Don't answer that," Winner said.
“The citizens of Carroll
County have been quite
generous,” said Spaulding. “Frankly,
that does not surprise me,” he elaborated as he added how he has always been
amazed as to how well Carroll countians support social causes with generosity.
Winner quickly added in agreement, “I have been truly amazed
at the generosity of Carroll
County. A lot of people made a special effort to come
and make a donation.”
Maryland State Police spokesperson Greg Shipley was also
there last Saturday evening to cheer Winner and Spaulding on.
“It’s commendable…,” said Shipley. When asked for further comment, Shipley
explained that all the attention needed to be on the two police officers and
the special needs athletes they support.
“Hey, I’m just here to congratulate them on what looks to be
a successful event. It’s nice that two
officers give-up their weekend for such a good cause,” said a smiling Shipley
as he traded humor with Winner and Spaulding from the parking lot below.
"It's a great cause," Spaulding said of Special
Olympics. “Law enforcement has a long
history of supporting Special Olympics.”
So does Spaulding. He
is a central regional coordinator for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for
Special Olympics, and has participated in that event since 1986.
His interest started 23 years ago when he was an officer in
the Howard County Police Department and was asked to participate in Maryland's first Law
Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
Since then, he has volunteered to raise money for and
awareness about Special Olympics. He
attends Special Olympics competitions as far away as Japan to serve as a security guard,
awards presenter or volunteer.
As for the doughnut shop rooftop stunt, the idea came from
law enforcement officers in Illinois
who took to the rooftops of 94 Dunkin' Donuts locations in 2009, and raised
more than $182,000.
In Maryland last year, one
location in Laurel
participated in the promotion and raised $7,000. This year, Westminster
joined three other participating locations in College Park,
Ocean City,
and Glen Burnie.
Last Monday night at the Westminster council meeting, Spaulding explained
that a retired state trooper made a special trip to donate $1,000.00 on Sunday
and the owner of the Dunkin’ Donuts also donated $1,000.00 to the cause.
“And folks are still asking if they can still donate,” said
Spaulding. “And the answer is yes, just
be in touch with me at the (Westminster Police) station.”
For information about donating to the fund for Special
Olympics of Maryland, go to the organization's website at www.somd.org or call
410-789-6677, or call Spaulding at the police station at 410-848-4646. Contributing doughnuts is optional.
*****
[20100929 sodosm SCEKED pubver Cops Rooftops SpecOlym gr8
succ]
Photo: Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding raised a
bucket full of donations at the Cops on Rooftops Special Olympics fundraiser
September 25, 2010. Photo by Kevin
Dayhoff
_________
Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding is all smiles as he
raises a bucket full of donations at the Cops on Rooftops Special Olympics
fundraiser September 25, 2010. Photo by
Kevin Dayhoff
