CLARISSA Felix of Lake Elsinore gets her lemonade from Garden Grove PD Cadet Michele Estrada as police raise money for Special Olympics during the Tip a Cop charity event at a Red Robin restaurant.
(Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC)

By Greg Hardesty

Leslie Collier and her family drove 90 minutes from Rancho Santa Margarita to Garden Grove last Thursday (traffic was bad) to enjoy dinner at Red Robin, usually something they would never do (there are many closer options).

But this evening was special: the Garden Grove Police Department’s annual “Tip a Cop” fundraiser for the Special Olympics.

“We love this, and we’re really excited to be here,” said Collier, whose family is friends with GGPD Officer Sean Gleason.

“We’re excited to support the police,” Collier said. “We love that our police do good things and are involved in the community by helping organizations like the Special Olympics.”

Collier went to the Oct. 20 event, at the Red Robin on Harbor Boulevard at Chapman Avenue in Garden Grove, with her husband, David, four children and her sister, Rachel Anderson.

The family drove far, but didn’t travel nearly as far as Marielle and her family, who are from Oregon and were in town to visit Disneyland.

“They (GGPD officers) were very kind, and it was a blessing that they were here tonight,” said Marielle. “We are big supporters of the Special Olympics.”

One-hundred percent of the tips patrons gave to GGPD officers, who helped take orders and deliver food, went to the Special Olympics.

The GGPD raised $2,925 at this year’s Tip a Cop fundraiser, Officer Nick Jensen said.

“We generally raise about $3,000 each year,” Jensen said. “It’s our small way of supporting such a great non-profit that does such good not just in our community but throughout the country.”

Steven Georges contributed to this story.

This article is provided to the Tribune by special arrangement with Behind the Badge, a website devoted to coverage of law enforcement issues, events and practices. For more, go to behindthebadgeoc.com .