Police and safety officers will be stationed at Dunkin' Donuts locations across Indiana on Friday for Cop On A Rooftop, a fundraising effort for Special Olympics Indiana that pairs donations with a free donut coupon and, for gifts of $10 or more, a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.

More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking part in the effort, which has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana to date. The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin' Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, joining officers who will stand around participating stores to collect donations from customers.

For Wes Rowlader, the campaign is about more than a day of handing out coffee and donuts. “Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” he said, adding that the athletes show “what determination, courage, and community truly look like” and that every dollar helps turn that spirit into “training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”

The money matters because Special Olympics athletes train and compete for free in Indiana, including more than 20,000 Hoosier athletes who take part without cost. Cop on a Rooftop has become one of the most visible ways the program raises money, with officers turning a breakfast stop into a statewide appeal for donations and support.

The event works because it is simple. Officers are present, donations are collected, and customers leave with something in hand. The tension is that the need keeps growing while the ask stays small, which is why the value of each cup of coffee and each donation goes directly to the athletes who depend on the program. On Friday, that means a busy morning at the Lima Road Dunkin' Donuts and a reminder that the fundraising effort is still being built one stop at a time.