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Officers will camp out on the roof of Wal Mart this weekend.

Seven Years In, Cop on Top Continues To Grow

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's been seven years since the first Cop on Top set in motion a series of fundraisers, growing every year, that has raised more than $600,000 for Special Olympic athletes.
 
"We've made so much money in our county program that we help other programs in other counties," said Officer Darren Derby, who along with Investigator John Bassi, has been heading the local efforts for years.
 
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a local program that has raised money to pay for local Special Olympic athletes to participate — whether it be for transportation, equipment, uniforms. Locally it started with a Tip a Cop fundraiser and seven years ago Cop on Top (on top of Walmart to be precise) was developed.
 
That first year, officers looked to raise $5,000 and instead brought in $32,000. It was the start of series of events being rolled out supporting Special Olympics.
 
Officers from all over the area will spend the night on top of the Walmart store in Berkshire Crossings while on the ground, bake sales, raffles, and other efforts add up. 
 
The 7th annual event returns this weekend with opening ceremonies on Saturday at 9 a.m. and ending around 7 at night and returning Sunday morning and ending at about 5 p.m. Restaurants will be selling food and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be taking photos with children. 
 
"We have a huge raffle and a lot of giveaways," Derby said. 
 
Derby said there are between six and 10 officers planning to spend the night on top, and a couple spending two nights. Other officers will be on and off and helping out on the ground. The effort spans beyond the Pittsfield Police and has help from the sheriff's office and dozens of other local forces and officers. 
 
"We anticipate anywhere from 35 to 60 officers from across the county to participate," Derby said. 
 
Derby won't be spending the night on the roof. But he does have his own fundraiser planned. In March, he'll be going to Austria to help open the Special Olympics World Games by carrying a torch for the Winter Games. If he raises $2,500, he'll be able to keep the torch and half of that money will come back to the local program. 
 
"Every hour on the hour, I will be dunked into a tank of cold water," Derby said. "If I can raise $2,500 I get a custom-made torch you run with and I'd bring that back to use here."
 
He's raising money from sponsors by wearing shirts from companies that donate for each dunk and whoever raises the most, will get to choose his outfit for the final dunk. 
 
Overall, Derby doesn't have a specific goal for fundraising but last year $61,000 was raised. The event continues to be the largest fundraiser for the organization, which brings in more than $100,000 a year. Since that original Cop on Top, five other fundraisers have been added.
 
Just last week, LETR held the Poultry Plunge — an adaptation from the Polar Plunge that first began locally in 2013 —with dozens of brave souls jumping into cold Onota Lake. That raised $4,250. Before that was the annual ugly sweater run held in Lee. 
 
The newest addition was a plane pull in tandem with the "Wings, Wheels, and Warbirds" event at the airport. In the summer, a glowball night was held at Baker's Golf bringing in $4,590. In July, the Midnight Run With the Cops brought in some more. 
 
"We just built it little by little," Derby said. 
 
Derby says every year at least $100,000 is raised from the events, and since that first Cop on Top, the amount has eclipsed $600,000. The efforts have been so successful that once all of the local athletes are taken care of, money is being used to help athletes in areas without such fundraising efforts. 
 
"It all goes to a great cause. The money doesn't go to salaries. It goes to support the athletes," Derby said.
 
LETR has grown have a half-dozen events now and Derby said that is likely the extent of it as far as the number of events. But, he also said that a few years ago and more events have been added since.

Tags: cop on top,   fundraiser,   LETR,   Special Olympics,   

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Pittsfield CPA Committee Funds Half of FY24 Requests

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A few projects are not getting funded by the Community Preservation Committee because of a tight budget.

The projects not making the cut were in the historic preservation and open space and recreation categories and though they were seen as interesting and valuable projects, the urgency was not prevalent enough for this cycle.

"It's a tough year," Chair Danielle Steinmann said.

The panel made its recommendations on Monday after several meetings of presentations from applications. They will advance to the City Council for final approval.  

Two cemetery projects were scored low by the committee and not funded: A $9,500 request from the city for fencing at the West Part Cemetery as outlined in a preservation plan created in 2021 and a $39,500 request from the St. Joseph Cemetery Commission for tombstone restorations.

"I feel personally that they could be pushed back a year," Elizabeth Herland said. "And I think they're both good projects but they don't have the urgency."

It was also decided that George B. Crane Memorial Center's $73,465 application for the creation of a recreational space would not be funded. Herland said the main reason she scored the project low was because it didn't appear to benefit the larger community as much as other projects do.

There was conversation about not funding The Christian Center's $34,100 request for heating system repairs but the committee ended up voting to give it $21,341 when monies were left over.

The total funding request was more than $1.6 million for FY24 and with a budget of $808,547, only about half could be funded. The panel allocated all of the available monies, breaking down into $107,206 for open space and recreation, $276,341 for historic preservation, and $425,000 for community housing.

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