'New recruit,' 2, visits Antioch Police officers at fundraising event

Two-year-old River Simonsen of Kenosha, Wisconsin, visited Antioch's Cop on a Roof recently in a full Antioch Police uniform.

"We made it for him as his Halloween costume last year, but the morning of Halloween his police car battery died for good," his mother said. "Since then I've done a drill battery conversion so that we could eventually show the fine men that protect us and River's (Antioch resident) grandmother that we appreciate everything they do, and they are true superheroes."

River's mother made every piece from scratch, from the hat on his head to every patch and piece of equipment on his vest. He received his police car the previous Christmas.

River, who turns 3 in September, seemed so comfortable with the Antioch Police officers and has been given the nickname "the new recruit."

The Antioch Police Department was able to fundraise $8,600 for Special Olympics Illinois by selling T-shirts, hats, raffle tickets, and special Dunkin' Donuts travel mugs.

To donate online, visit bit.ly/DonateCOAR22.

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