WAIPOULI — Kaua‘i Police Department officers Lt. Hank Barriga, Sgt. Ezra Kanoho and Detective Mike Gordon were able to come home Saturday. “I never thought I would be happy to see an Oceanic Time Warner cherry-picker,” Gordon said as he
WAIPOULI — Kaua‘i Police Department officers Lt. Hank Barriga, Sgt. Ezra Kanoho and Detective Mike Gordon were able to come home Saturday.
“I never thought I would be happy to see an Oceanic Time Warner cherry-picker,” Gordon said as he was being lowered from the rooftop of the Safeway supermarket in Kapa‘a.
Gordon was one of three KPD officers who spent three days and two nights perched atop the roof in an effort to raise funds for Kaua‘i Special Olympics in the Cop on Top event that was taking place throughout the state.
Dennis Cortez of Oceanic Time Warner operated the lift in an area cordoned off by two KPD patrol cars that kept the area clear with their blue lights flashing.
When Gordon stepped into the cage and the lift began to swing earthward, the officers alternated their sirens to bring attention to the descent.
As Gordon found his land legs, he was given a lei by a Special Olympic athlete and another from volunteer Theresa Koki who welcomed the detective home.
Special Olympics Kaua‘i coordinator Jocelyn Barriga said she felt confident they would met their goal of $25,000
“If we get another $30, we’ll reach $17,000,” said Koki, who was helping at the registration area outside the entrance to Safeway.
Barriga said the amount raised is about the same as their last year’s event, but with the amount added by Falko Partners, Kaua‘i met its goal last year.
This year, Barriga said both Larry Bowman, the owner of Falko Partners, and Shawn Smith of Falko were out of town, but felt confident that with the pledge from Falko Partners, Kaua‘i would again meet its goal for Special Olympics.
“People here are very generous when it comes to helping,” Barriga said. “And the visitors are very generous, too. Almost every one who passed through gave to help Special Olympics. There was one lady who read about this event on the online version of TGI and she called from Los Angeles to contribute.”
The three KPD officers were lifted to the rooftop of Safeway early Thursday morning. Similar scenarios were taking place at Safeway stores throughout the state, Barriga said.
“Every Safeway had their own cops sitting on the roof,” she said.
Throughout the three days and two nights, other officers — including Wes Kaui, Miles Tanabe and Joe Adric — dropped in to help entertain the volunteers and spectators who continued to drop their contributions in fishnets manned by Special Olympic athletes.
Kaua‘i Special Olympics programs are funded solely through fund-raising efforts spearheaded by Barriga and her corps of volunteers.
Special Olympics’ mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Barriga said their next gathering will involve Kaua‘i’s motorcycle and classic cars enthusiasts in the annual ride that will take place Nov. 5 at the convention hall.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
