BILLINGS — July is National Disability Pride Month, and one organization in the Montana community that strives to uplift disabled voices is Special Olympics Montana.
All day Tuesday, they served pizzas at the MacKenzie River Pizza Co. along with the Billings Police Department for a "Tip a Cop" event.
Over a dozen other MacKenzie River locations are doing the same with a goal to raise almost $40,000.
"It's just good for the community to have it here in Billings," said Blaine West, an athlete at Special Olympics.
For Blaine, Tuesday wasn't a typical day. He isn't normally the smiling face bringing our delicious lunch out. But days like Tuesday allow West to continue his passion for sports.
West and members of the Billings Police Department donned server uniforms for the annual "Tip a Cop" fundraiser. It's a chance to connect with, and give back to, the community.
"It's a great event. The athletes are here. The law enforcement officers are here. We're giving back to the community and we're happy to be here... We've always had great success, and we're happy to do it," said Nickalas Buciuman, the Assistant Director for Eastern Montana Law Enforcement Torch Run. Buciuman also works as a Probation Officer.
"It allows the athletes to get outside of their realm of doing events, to get some face time out in front of the general public," said Cody Donahue, a Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office detective.
Essentially, the athletes and law enforcement officers work as "celebrity servers," according to Buciuman.
After tipping their server like normal, customers have the option to add an "above and beyond" tip for their police officer and athlete servers.
"It's a good benefit for us to get out and help the Special Olympics of Montana," said Donahue.
All of the proceeds stay in Montana and 60% stay in Yellowstone Valley, while 40% help other state regions supporting Special Olympics.
This means that all the money that West earns for his hard work can be used to pursue his favorite sport at the Summer Games this year, bowling.
"I like getting the strikes," says West.
Learn more about Special Olympics Montana and their annual Summer Games on their website.
