WAIPAHU, Hawaii - Military police from throughout the 728th Military Police Battalion, 8th MP Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, along with personnel from the Directorate of Emergency Services, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, once again joined forces with Special Olympic-Hawaii Athletes in raising funds and awareness for Special Olympics-Hawaii during the annual "Cop on Top" fundraising event held Aug. 27 -29, island wide.
Law enforcement from all over the island participated in this three-day fundraising event, with military police being assigned to the Waipahu site in which they climbed up a scaffold outside the Walmart in Waipahu and stayed up there eating, sleeping, and most importantly, raising awareness and donations for Special Olympics-Hawaii.
Antonio Williams, deputy chief of police, directorate of Emergency Services, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii, and lead police officer at the Waipahu site explained the history behind the Cop on Top event.
"It started because one police officer stayed on top of the Waikiki Theater in the hopes of making $10,000 [for Special Olympics-Hawaii], and he was intent on staying up there till he made it," said Williams. Well, he accomplished that feat in Waikiki in only four hours, and that sparked an idea that has gone on in tradition now [for the past 14 years]."
Special Olympic-Hawaii athletes, volunteers, and boisterous military police on top of scaffolds with and without megaphones also raised awareness of the benefits of Special Olympics on not just the athletes, but their families and the community.
Some of the many benefits of Special Olympics-Hawaii are as follows.
Did you know?
• Special Olympic athletes are 200% more likely to be employed.
• Special Olympic athletes have lower blood pressure, lower body fat, and lower insulin levels.
• Special Olympic families have less stress, feel less isolated, have fewer feelings of depression amongst mothers, and spend more time together.
• Special Olympics-Hawaii serves over 3,000 athletes.
• Special Olympics-Hawaii athletes compete in over 45 plus competitions a year in nine sports supported by more than 8,500 volunteers and 668 certified coaches.
Noah Lorenzo, age 26, resident of Wahiawa and Special Olympics - Hawaii athlete in both bowling and bocce ball, expressed the benefits of Special Olympics on him with the assistance of his mother, Gretchen Lorenzo, while collecting funds and raising awareness, Aug. 29.
They emphasized the main benefit was it makes him happy, but along with that happiness there are other valuable benefits such as the opportunities to be part of a team, to make new friends, and to improve fitness, confidence and health.
First Lt. Joe Weisenstine, platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, 57th MP Company, 728th MP Battalion, 8th MP Brigade, spoke about the impact volunteering has on him and his Soldiers.
"[Soldiers] have already volunteered to serve our country and they do that in the military realm, but opportunities like this to volunteer gets them back into the community and gives them the ability to serve our community on the front lines as well. Especially for a cause like Special Olympics, which brings a lot of people together, is something everyone believes in and it promotes so much good for the athletes and our community. So "Cop on Top" gives us another opportunity to be a positive part of the local community, and it gets us back into civilian life in a way that provides a fun, nice, uplifting break from our regular duties," said Weisenstine.
As the event came to an end, the unofficial total of monies collected by military police and Special Olympic-Hawaii Athletes was about $12,500.
Pfc. Katherine Hayworth, Military Police, 58th MP Company, reflected on her experience.
"I feel like I get a lot back when I volunteer; for instance I was just standing next to an athlete who also was volunteering and the smile on his face when people donated to him, and the smile on his face when he told them about Special Olympics just meant so much to me and made me feel so good to be here," said Hayworth.
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