The Viewfinder: The "Tip-A-Cop" Fundraiser at Red Robin

The 2nd annual "Tip-A-Cop" Event held at  at the Los Cerritos Center proved to be a huge success, earning more than $5,000 for the Special Olympics' South East Los Angeles (SELA) chapter.

The March 26 event was the culmination of a weeklong effort by Red Robin to help raise funds for the local Special Olympics teams. For two 4-hour periods, deputies and personnel assigned to the helped serve guests at the eatery. All of the tips donated to the officers benefitted the the SELA Special Olympics chapter. 

Through this collaborative effort, the deputies received $4,734 in tips and also sold $590 in Special Olympics t-shirts for a total of $5,324 in funds raised for the day, according to Katherine Chu, parent volunteer for the SELA team. 

The "Tip-A-Cop" event also took place at the Red Robin's Whittier location, where a total of $2,790 was collected. Overall, the SELA chapter earned  $7,054, establishing the highest amount earned of all the Special Olympics' chapters statewide, Chu said.

Donald Howard, the SELA chapter’s longtime volunteer and retired area director, says the monies raised will help buy swim uniforms, soccer equipment and also pay for any group transportation and registration fees. 

For more information about the Southern California Special Olympics, visit their website.