SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- South Bend’s annual “Tip-A-Cop” fundraiser benefits Special Olympics athletes in a big way.

On Wednesday, Troopers from the Indiana State Police Bremen Post met at Texas Roadhouse to collect tips from customers for donations to help over 11,000 athletes with the Special Olympics of Indiana.

Indiana State Police Sergeant, Ted Boehner says, “It lets the community see us in a little bit of a different light because they are not seeing us with red and blue lights behind them, pulling them over for a traffic stop or something like that.”

Thanks to events like this, 14,000 disabled athletes in the Hoosier state get to participate in the Special Olympics for free.