HELENA — It is generally frowned upon to slide a law enforcement officer a few dollars after interacting with them, but on Tuesday at MacKenzie River Pizza Co. in Helena, it all goes to a good cause.
Tip-A-Cop at MacKenzie River is an official Law Enforcement Torch Run fundraising event for Special Olympics Montana (SOMT).
"It's just a whirlwind, especially when we get the lunch rush and the dinner rush. We are moving from table to table, serving everything we can," said Domino Leveque-Zapata, a Helena Police Department Sergeant and the Director of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for SOMT.
Special Olympians and almost every law enforcement branch joined to raise funds and spread awareness about SOMT.
They put on aprons to make pizza, washed dishes in the back, and served meals to customers.
Zapata said, "I love bringing the athletes to a table and letting them talk to the customers, letting them explain what events they do and how much they enjoy Special Olympics. Getting to see that joy of a relationship that's forming in front of me."
Last year, Tip-A-Cop raised roughly $5,000.
The event on Tuesday ran from open to closed, and all of the tips earned during the day go to the cause.
One hundred percent of the proceeds stay in Montana. Sixty percent stays in the tri-county area, and forty percent helps cover state-wide costs.
"We are giving you this awareness of why we are fundraising for them because they have their events throughout the year that need help funding: traveling, equipment, etc. It's just getting to know the athletes too, because the relationships we build through these events, it's not just serving food or asking for donations, it's those relationships that last a long time," said Deputy Tony Galahan with the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office.
While the event's primary goal is to spread awareness and build community connections, all the money raised and donations that come in are "cheese" on top.