Cops hang out at doughnut shops to raise money for Special Olympics

Police officers from DuPage County patrolled the rooftops of area doughnut shops Friday.

It was all part of a larger effort by Chicago-area cops to help raise money for Illinois Special Olympics.

Officers were on the rooftops of 71 Dunkin' Donuts -- including locations in Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn, Naperville and Roselle -- soliciting funds from unsuspecting coffee drinkers and doughnut eaters.

"It's just so much fun for everyone," said Carrie Reckert, spokeswoman for Dunkin' Donuts. "The regular morning customers come every day for their coffee and look up and see something's different this morning."

Special Olympics representatives didn't have a fundraising total later Friday afternoon but said they were hoping to raise more than $100,000 this year.

As of 5:30 p.m., 40 locations had reported raising $68,000.

Participating Dunkin' Donuts locations included seven in Chicago. The others covered the suburbs and as far south as Champaign.

Friday was the sixth year in a row area police officers did their part to help raise money for Illinois Special Olympics.

Reckert said the largest fundraiser was in 2006, when 54 locations brought in $108,000. Last year, the officers raised $98,000.

The money will go toward the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which involves hundreds of police officers throughout the state raising money for Illinois Special Olympics. They cover 1,500 miles, carrying the Flame of Hope to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.

At the end of last year, the officers donated about $2 million from various events to Special Olympics, Reckert said.