Cops go over the top for Special Olympics

Kaua‘i did it again, said Joce-lyn Barriga, coordinator for the Special Olympics Kaua‘i.

“Thanks to the generosity of our friends and neighbors, our ‘Cops on Top’ raised a total of $18,407.50 over the three days and two nights they spent atop the roof of Safeway,” Barriga said via e-mail.

The fund-raiser also brought in $10,000 from Falko Partners, which had promised to match up to that amount in community donations. Combined, the event raised $28.407.50 for the Special Olympics Kaua‘i, according to Barriga, which surpassed the initial goal of $25,000.

Lt. Hank Barriga, Detective Mike Gordan and Sergeant Ezra Kanoho began their fund-raising efforts at dawn Thursday when Dennis Cortes of Oceanic Time Warner lifted the trio and their supplies to the top of the Safeway Stores roof in Waipoli.

During their stay on the rooftop, the officers spent part of the time greeting motorists entering the Kaua‘i Village parking lot and exchanging greetings with shoppers.

This year marked the second time they’ve devoted three days to helping raise funds for Kaua‘i’s Special Olympics program.

“The Special Olympic athletes were very proud of themselves for being able to help the cops raise the necessary funds which provide them with important physical activities and competition throughout the year,” Barriga continued. “We at Special Olympics Kaua‘i are quite proud of them ourselves, because they are the reason we are all happy to put in our time and effort toward this wonderful cause.”

Barriga said programs for the Special Olympics athletes are funded solely by fund-raising efforts such as the recent Cop on Top program.

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.

To enroll an athlete, or for more information on the Special Olympics program, call 652-8662.