KINSMAN, Ohio (WKBN) – Police officers in a local township took on a different role Tuesday, all to raise money for a good cause.
Carrying a notepad, Kinsman Police Chief Thaddeus Stephenson wasn’t writing traffic tickets but taking orders and serving customers at Times Square Restaurant.
“We’re feeling the heat in the kitchen and the pie is waiting for people to come down and get a slice,’ Stephenson said.
It’s all a part of the department’s annual “Tip a Cop” fundraiser, where the township’s police officers trade in their uniforms for aprons to wait tables. All tips and other donations benefit Kinsman’s Shop with a Cop Program.
Chuck Carter stopped by to support his local police department.
“They’re a good department. They don’t just patrol. They do more, they go out and help people,” Carter said.
The annual fundraiser began several years ago and has taken place at Times Square for about a decade.
“We’ve made over $3,000 in the eight-hour period where we start at 11 and finish at 7. We’ve been right in the proximity, give or take, every year. The community has supported this program in so many different ways,” said Kinsman Township Trustee Greg Leonhard.
“With the way things are going, hopefully, we can give a little more money this year. With the way the economy is, every little bit helps,” Stephenson said.
As of Tuesday evening, the event cleared $3,359.60 plus $191 from the Chinese auction, according to Kinsman Township Trustee Greg Leonhard.
