ORANGE POLICE DEPARTMENT Giving Back to the Community

WRITTEN BY: KARA MURRAY

For the officers at the Orange Police Department, their motto is not just “Protect and Serve,” it is Protect, Serve, and Fundraise. Giving back to the community and participating in various fundraisers is something they do when they are on and off the clock.

Officer Denny Peterson said the most prevalent fundraisers he and the other officers participate in are events benefiting Special Olympics Connecticut, a non-profit that provides year-round sports training and competitions for over 12,000 individuals with disabilities.

Some of these fundraisers include Tip-A-Cop, where officers are paired up with wait staff at a local restaurant and assist in serving patrons to collect donations, and Cop-On-Top, where officers are perched on top of a local business and can’t come down until the fundraising goal has been met.

TORCH RUN

“I have always been involved in volunteering and fundraising even before I became a police officer,” Peterson said. “When I first started with the Orange Police and was asked if I wanted to take part in Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut, I happily accepted.”

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a campaign to benefit the Special Olympics. The run is led solely by law enforcement and close to 97,000 police professionals in over 45 countries take part in this one-day event.

“After my first Torch Run, I wanted to do more, so I became a Team Captain along with Lieutenant Heather

From left to right: Retired Lieutenant Heather LaRock, Officer Denny Peterson, Detective Carolyn Bailey with Special Olympics athlete, Heather Campbell (center).

LaRock (now retired) and Detective Carolyn Bailey,” Peterson said. “I still wanted to do more, and at our yearly Torch Run Council Meeting, I was first introduced to the Super Plunge by an officer from the Middletown Police Department. It is one of those fundraisers only a select few were willing to take part in so I had to do it.”

SUPER PLUNGE

During the Super Plunge, participants plunge into the icy cold water of the Long Island sound or lake every hour for 24 hours straight at winter’s end, similar to a Penguin Plunge. Last year was Peterson’s first year doing it, and he decided to participate again this year from March 28th to the 29th, but

Aside from the major events the department does to fundraise, Peterson gets a lot of donations through social media, particularly Facebook. “I have also contacted many business owners and managers in the Orange area, many of which I have met through work and from frequenting their businesses,” he said.

Peterson recalls an idea he learned from a Middletown officer regarding the Super Plunge. If a business includes a shirt with their $100 donation, he will designate a plunge for that business and will have a photograph taken wearing the shirt and post on social media. This gives the business recognition to their donation and support for Special Olympics Connecticut.

Peterson was able to raise $2,800 in the 2019 Plunge. The goal is to raise $2,400, which amounts to $100 per plunge. As a department, everyone As someone who is always looking for something to do, Peterson says he will volunteer for “anything and everything.”

“A few years back, I was able to participate in a Shop-With-A-Cop event at the Milford Mall. This event teamed me up with a child in need. We had pizza and bowled at Bowlero Milford. After that, we had a police procession to the Milford Target to Christmas shop for the child’s family,” Peterson said. “I was honored to take part in this event and had the opportunity to meet some amazing children.” He also participates in the “Read Across America” program, where he reads to students at Racebrook and Turkey Hill Elementary Schools.

Peterson says he gets to see firsthand how important the Special Olympics are to people with intellectual disabilities as well as their families, and it is one of the reasons why he does so much for the charity.

Heather LaRock and Denny Peterson after Denny’s 24th and final Super Plunge event.

“It gives athletes the opportunity to discover strengths and abilities they did not know they had while also giving them confidence and a sense of acceptance,” he said.

Peterson and his peers at the Orange Police Department enjoy participating in these events and giving back to the community, as well as the camaraderie of working together to achieve an amazing goal. 