Cops on Top annual fundraiser held at Dunkin Donuts
By Jason Emerson
Cazenovia Police Department Officer Tom Engelmann will be shaving off his mustache for the next two years after the Cazenovia Dunkin Donuts Cops on Top event reached certain fundraising goals last week.
The event, which raises money and awareness for the Special Olympics New York, takes place at Dunkin Donuts locations across Central New York. The Cazenovia department, participating for the past five years, this year raised nearly $3,000 during the event, with the online donations yet to be counted.
During the Aug. 3 event, Engelmann challenged the Special Olympics development specialist, Baylee Douglass, to raise $1,000 on her own and, if she did, he would shave his mustache. If she raised $1,500 he would shave his mustache next year as well.
Both goals were met and Engelmann will be going under the razor.
Last year, Engelmann challenged Douglas to raise $500 and he would shave. This year he felt that was too easy given her success last year, so he upped the ante, he said.
“This is just a good cause, it gets the buzz out and the public gets to see us in a way they normally do not. It’s good both for them and for us,” he said. “There’s not many things I get out of bed at 5:30 a.m. for anymore, but this is one.”
The Cazenovia Cops on Top fundraiser netted just under $2,700 for the five hours of fundraising they did last Friday, although the online donations were not counted as of press time.
Online donations are still being accepted at the Special Olympics of Central New York website at specialolympics-ny.org/donate. Donors may also text “CAZENOVIA” to 91999 to donate.
“This is going a lot better this year than last year,” said Douglass, who helped coordinate all the volunteers and 45 Cops on Top locations across the region for the event. “We try to grow this every year. It’s a lot of fun.”
Cazenovia Police Chief Michael Hayes said that the Caz location raised the second most amount of money out of the 36 Dunkin Donuts stores throughout Central New York that participated last year, behind only the city of Norwich, and he is hoping this year Cazenovia can raise the most out of the 45 participating stores.
“This is a great event we look forward to every year,” he said. “It’s a good cause.”
The event — which occurred from 6 to 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3, at the Dunkin Donuts on Albany Street — invited community members to visit participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in Central New York to attend the sit-in to support the officers, visit with Special Olympics athletes and their families and make donations to Special Olympics New York. Dunkin’ Donuts will offer guests a coupon for a free doughnut as a thank you when guests make a monetary donation to the organization. Guests who donate $20 or more will receive an official “Cops on Top” T-shirt and a free coffee or donut, while a donation of $50 or more gets a T-shirt, free pound of coffee and free donut or coffee.
In addition to the Cazenovia Dunkin Donuts and police department, stores and departments across CNY also participated, including those in nearby Manlius, Fayetteville, Chittenango and Canastota.
All contributions generated from the campaign will support Special Olympics New York programs for Central New York families. The initiative has generated more than $176,000 since its inception in 2012.
The purpose of the Cops on Top fundraiser is to bring attention to the fact that there are 64,659 Special Olympics athletes in New York state — that is the largest chapter in North America and the fifth largest in the world. The funds raised help support all the New York athletes who benefit from year-round training and competition at no charge to them, according to organization information.
