T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Representatives from various area law enforcement agencies came together at Dunkin’ Donuts in Marshalltown on Friday morning to benefit Special Olympics Iowa as part of the “Cop on a Rooftop” fundraiser.

Officers from the Marshalltown Police Department, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, the Meskwaki Nation Police Department, the State Center Police Department and Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement were all on the scene at Dunkin’ Donuts Friday morning, but they weren’t serving a warrant or attempting to sniff out a robbery. They were there for a good cause.

As part of a larger effort in partnership with law enforcement agencies across the state, they were raising money for Special Olympics Iowa through tips and Venmo donations. And as the name of the initiative, “Cop on a Rooftop,” might suggest, officers took shifts hanging out on the top of the building and keeping a watchful eye over the area.

“It kind of depends on what they like. We have some people who don’t exactly like heights, and we don’t make anybody on the roof,” Marshall County Chief Deputy Ben Veren said. “If they don’t like the heights, they can have the opportunity to work down here on the ground, and being on the ground is a nice way to interact with the people as they’re coming and going.”

Veren said this is the seventh year area agencies have participated in the fundraiser at Dunkin’ Donuts. Before that, it had been held at Walmart.

“This is a great partnership between law enforcement and Special Olympics Iowa,” Veren said. “This is actually one of the biggest fundraisers where we’re able to help raise those funds and awareness for Special Olympics, and the nice part is, all that money that’s being raised — 100 percent of those funds — stay in Iowa to help the athletes.”

The promotion ran from 5 a.m. to noon, and at about 9 a.m., the line of cars for the drive-thru ran out onto La Frentz Lane. Despite it being the last week of summer and the State Fair happening in Des Moines, Veren said turnout had been steady throughout the morning, and even people who couldn’t make it asked about how they could donate to the cause.

Last year, Cop on a Rooftop raised about $2,400 for Special Olympics Iowa in Marshalltown, and Veren said the goal is always to equal or surpass that number each year. In addition to helping some of the most deserving athletes on the planet live out their dreams, it’s also a great opportunity for officers to get to know members of their community.

“It’s nice to get everybody together from different agencies. It’s nice to see somebody outside of an official work capacity or call for service, and then again too, it’s nice for the community to have interaction with us on something other than a call for service,” Veren said. “It’s a positive interaction with the people.”

For those who have Venmo and wish to donate, the Special Olympics Iowa account is @SOIOWA.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.