Worth Police Chief, Tim Denton, and Worth Mayor, Mary Werner, enjoyed coffee together during last year's Cop on a Rooftop in Worth. (File photo)
Police to hit the roof at Dunkin’ Donuts for Special Olympics
By Bob Bong
Police departments across the south suburbs are gearing up for another high-flying fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois.
Police will be hanging out at more than 325 Dunkin’ Donut coffee shops across Illinois starting at 5 a.m. Friday, May 19, for another edition of Cop on a Rooftop. They will be collecting donations until noon.
Anyone who donates will receive a coupon for a free donut. Anyone who donates $10 or more will also receive a coupon for a free medium hot or iced coffee.
This will be the 20th year that Dunkin’ and the Law Enforcement Torch Run have partnered to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics athletes in their local communities.
Since 2003, the event has raised more than $7.6 million for Special Olympics Illinois.
Special Olympics athletes, their families, and special guests will join law enforcement officials to show their support for Special Olympics Illinois.
In honor of Special Olympics athletes and the law enforcement officials participating in this annual event, Dunkin’ will donate $15,000 to the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.
Locally, Orland Park police will be busy prowling the roofs at three locations: 11309 W. 143rd St., 14461 S. LaGrange Road, and 15615 S. Harlem Ave.
Palos Heights coppers will be on the roof at 11849 Southwest Highway and at 12807 S. Harlem Avenue.
Palos Park officers will be collecting at 13029 S. LaGrange Road.
In Hickory Hills, officers will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 7847 W. 95th St.
Worth officers will be at the Dunkin’ at 6707 W. 111th St.
Oak Lawn police will be patrolling the roofs at 10801 S. Cicero Ave., 10301 S. Central Ave. and 8940 S. Cicero Ave.
Palos Hills donations will be taken at 10340 S. Harlem Ave.
In Homer Glen, donations will be taken at 14135 S. Bell Road
Bridgeview officers will be at the Dunkin’ at 7949 W. 79th St. in Bridgeview.
Burbank police will patrol the roof at 8049 S. Harlem Ave. in Burbank.
In Brookfield, officers will be collecting at the Dunkin’ at 9208 Ogden Ave.
In Countryside, officers will again be on the prowl at the Dunkin’ at 5500 S. La Grange Road.
In Hodgkins, officers will be collecting donations at the location at 9400 Joliet Road.
Justice police will be at the Dunkin’ at 7801 Archer Road.
In McCook, officers will be at 8147 W. Joliet Road and in the intersection as well.
Summit’s finest will be out and about at the Dunkin’ at 6144 S. Harlem Ave.
In Forest View, officers will patrol the Dunkin’ at 4501 S. Harlem Ave.
Willow Spring’s finest will be at 8424 S. Willow Springs Road
In Chicago, the men and women in blue will be at 5615 S. Harlem Ave.
Chicago Ridge police were not approved to take part this year, but they are selling shirts and hats at Village Hall and at the Police Station to raise money.
Officers will also be at Berger Station, 10236 Ridgeland Ave., from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 10, to help raise money for Special Olympics Illinois.
For a full list of participating locations, visit coponarooftop.com.
Local News
Willow Springs police release year in review report
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Willow Springs Police Chief Jim Ritz recently released the department’s 2021 Year in Review Report. The report, which was presented to Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer and the Willow Springs Village Board, is an overview of the programs, activities, accomplishments, and statistics that highlight their achievements last year. In the report, Ritz stated…
Forest View swears in new police chief
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new police chief. Steven Stelter was sworn in by Clerk Laura McGuffey at the February 22 village board meeting. Stelter comes with an extensive career in law enforcement. After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1979, where he was in the military…
International soccer tournament coming to Bridgeview
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Thirty-two soccer teams from North, Central and South America will be at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview this summer, vying for their share of a $100,000 prize. Copa Mariachi Chicago will be played at the stadium June 4 and 5. The winning team will get $80,000, and the second-place team pockets…
Grappling girls get their day at inaugural state finals
Spread the loveBy Jason Maholy Sports Editor The last weekend of February 2022 was an historic one for Illinois high school athletics, as female grapplers from across the Prairie State converged on Bloomington for the inaugural IHSA girls wrestling state finals. The state finals were held Feb. 25 and 26 at Grossinger Motors Arena in…
Boys Basketball: R-B, Lyons and De La Salle among seven area regional champs
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer St. Rita, Mt. Carmel, De La Salle, Curie, Lyons, Riverside-Brookfield and Nazareth survived the boys basketball regional wars last week and advanced to this week’s sectional action. Marist and St. Laurence were both a shot away from possibly joining them. Marist, the 10th seed in the Class 4A…
Area Roundup: R-B’s Harrison Nolan dives into record books
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Team USA diver Harrison Nolan capped off his high school career in a huge way. The Riverside-Brookfield senior smashed the record books en route to winning the IHSA state diving championship. The boys state swimming and diving finals were held Feb. 25 and 26 at the FMC Natatorium…
Richards’ Obadi advances to state speech finals
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The varsity speech team from Richards High School continues to impress. For the 15th season in a row, the school, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn, had at least one speech team member advance to state. “One of my most important responsibilities as coach of this program is to continue the…
Oak Lawn Community High School speech team goes to state
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Oak Lawn Community High School’s Speech Team has been showcasing its talent. The team at the school, 9400 Southwest Highway, Oak Lawn, competed at the Illinois High School Association state competition the weekend of February 19 in Peoria. IHSA is a state high school association in the United States that…
Poisoned eagle healed, released to mate
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Wildlife advocates recently released a bald eagle back into the wild at Ottawa Trail Woods at 47th Street and Harlem Avenue in Lyons. The release marked the end of a six-week rehabilitation stint that started on New Year’s Day when the bird was found on the ground in the woods.…
Countryside crowns queen for St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Catherine Ramicone fondly recalls watching the Countryside St. Patrick’s Day Parade each March and seeing the queen waving from a convertible. “I never imagined being queen, but I am now,” Ramicone said. “I’m so proud to be queen because I’ve lived in Countryside my whole life,” The Lyons Township High…
Neighbors
Young Spiderman fan wishes students a great summer
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Spiderman-kid bids farewell and wishes a beautiful summer break to students of Glen Oak Elementary in Hickory Hills. Since the summer of 2023, when he discovered the movie “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse,” a story about multiple Spidermen from different dimensions, 6-year-old Ribhi Gaber has been more than just a fan…
Worth finalizes rules for open burning in village
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle After several discussions over the past month, the Village of Worth has new guidelines for open burning by businesses and in residential areas. Mayor Mary Werner mentioned during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night that a discrepancy in an ordinance regarding open burning had a 10 p.m. deadline. However,…
Orland Township event focuses on mental health
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Orland Township is taking the time to focus on mental health. Residents were invited out to join Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady for an event called, Minds Matter 2024, on May 16 at Orland Township, located at 14807 S. Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park. “This was an excellent opportunity to…
Bridgeview shooting not related to Summer Smash
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Bridgeview Police Chief Ricardo Mancha on Monday wanted to emphasize that a shooting in the village Saturday night had nothing to do with the Summer Smash music festival that took place over the weekend at SeatGeek Stadium. “It was an isolated incident,” he said. “Completely unrelated to the Summer Smash…
Summer jobs available for youths through Lyons Township
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The summer jobs program offered each year by the Township of Lyons is up and running. The program for high school and college students “is designed to give young individuals an opportunity for summer employment,” Trustee Donna McDonald said at the township board’s June 11 meeting. The jobs program started…
Proud mayor grandpa hands out candy bars at meeting
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch It’s a tradition for new fathers to hand out cigars after the birth of a child. The cigar’s wrappers are blue for a boy and pink for a girl. If they’re non-smokers, new dads have been known to hand out bubblegum shaped like cigars. Sometimes, proud grandfathers get into the…
Pair busted for Summit phone store robberies
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two Chicago men have been charged with robbing two phone stores in Summit earlier this year. Jacari Franklin and Austin White are charged with robbing the T-Mobile store at 5640 S. Harlem Ave. on March 28 and the AT&T store at Archer and Harlem avenues on April 18, police said.…
Car enthusiasts crowd annual Father’s Day show in Lyons.
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Held under sunny and warm skies Sunday, the annual Father’s Day Car Show in Lyons was deemed a smashing success by participants and visitors. Not only were car lovers able to admire the four-wheeled beauties, some owners spent quality time with Dad or a spouse. Don Raschka, 80, of Central…
May this summer be a good season
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . “Summer was our best season. It was sleeping on the screened porch on cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse, summer was everything good to eat. It was a thousand colors in a parched landscape.”…