Daily Record photograph by Sarah Nader Detective Mike Hammons of Fayetteville stood on the roof at the Krispy Kreme in Rogers on Friday afternoon. Hammons and other officers were raising money for the Special Olympics and will be at the Krispy Kreme today and Sunday.
There aren’t many donut jokes Mike Hammons, a detective with the Fayetteville Police Department, hasn’t heard.
“ Haven’t we all made one of those cop and donut-shop jokes at some point ? ” Hammons asked. “ Everyone seems to think donuts are a cop’s best friend. I’ve heard some people call donuts cop batteries. I have to admit, I’m a cop and I love donuts. ”
As far as the jokes go, Hammons blew the floodgates wide open Friday morning by perching atop the Krispy Kreme at 1502 S. E. Walton Blvd. He was more than willing to accept the jokes from customers passing in and out of the doors below, loading up with donuts for the office and their morning coffee. He didn’t even seem to mind motorists making wisecracks.
The contents inside the plastic bucket Hammons lowered on a rope from the roof to attract customer’s attention made all the jokes worth it. And it will continue to do so all weekend, as officers, troopers and deputies from police departments and sheriff’s offices across Benton and Washington counties and the Arkansas State Police will take turns standing atop the store.
Customers have been dropping spare change and even dollars into the plastic bucket since early Friday morning, as part of the annual Cops on Top fundraiser. All of the money collected over the course of the weekend will be donated to the Arkansas chapter of Special Olympics.
“ Yes, we’re putting some humor into this by doing it at a donut shop, but the Special Olympics is a very real thing, ” Hammons said. “ Law-enforcement departments across the region — and the state — have been extremely involved in fundraising for Special Olympics for years. Arkansas is one of the few states that pays 100 percent of the cost for its Special Olympians to train and compete, and we’re proud of that. ”
Officers and troopers ask Krispy Kreme customers to give what they can. Sometimes it’s a dime. Other times, it’s a $ 5 or $ 10 bill. For the past four years, Cops on Top has been held on the roof of the Krispy Kreme in Bentonville, and Saturday has been the big payoff day for Arkansas Special Olympians.
“ Saturday is always big, ” Hammons said. “ We do other fundraisers for Special Olympics, like the Polar Bear Plunge at Prairie Creek and the Torch Run. If you can think of an idea for a fundraiser, we’re probably doing it somewhere. It’s never ending — all year, every year. ”
All it took to convince Hammons that standing on the roof of a donut shop, diving into freezing winter waters at Prairie Creek or running from Benton to Washington county was worth it was witnessing the Arkansas Special Olympics once.
“ For many of these Special Olympians, life can be a challenge from the time they wake up until they go to sleep, every day, ” Hammons said. “ We sit here and complain about our shoes being a little uncomfortable or our office being too hot or cold. But these (Special Olympians ) are living with much bigger challenges. Special Olympics is their opportunity to put everything they have into something and be on stage for the world. ”
Hammons had the opportunity to carry the torch into the stadium in Searcy to signal the beginning of the 2008 Arkansas Special Olympics earlier this summer. That’s what he was thinking about as customers dropped donations into the plastic bucket.
“ I ran into that stadium carrying the torch and passed it off to the Special Olympian who lit the big torch, ” Hammons said. “ Thousands of people were screaming. You see what that torch means. It was pretty overwhelming. We want to make sure our Special Olympians continue to have that opportunity. ”
Arkansas Special Olympians who medal at the state games advance to the national games for an opportunity to compete internationally.
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