Dallas dining icon, Norma’s Cafe, will partner with Special Olympics Texas on Wednesday, May 22 for the sixth annual Law Enforcement Torch Run’s Tip-A-Cop event. This year’s event is in honor of Sergeant Brad Freis, a former Addison Police Department officer who passed away last July. Sergeant Freis was actively involved with Special Olympics Texas and helped raise millions of dollars for the organization.
Sergeant Freis spent 38 years as a motor officer, sergeant and mentor with the Addison Police Department, and after his retirement, he remained actively involved with the department and surrounding community through Special Olympics Texas. He was a member of the organization’s Presidents Advisory Council, ran and organized the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run, and represented Texas at a Special Olympics World Games Final Leg. He was inducted into the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Hall of Fame in July 2016.
“At Norma’s Cafe, we strive to always make a difference, in any way we can, and we are proud to work with a number of individuals who dedicate their time and resources to incredible causes,” said Ed Murph, owner of Norma’s Cafe. “We look forward to working with our community’s police officers for the sixth year in a row to raise donations for an organization that is close to the hearts of law enforcement, like Sergeant Freis.”
As a part of the diner’s dedication to community service and giving back, Norma’s Cafe recognized Sergeant Brad Freis with the 4th annual Norma’s Cafe Community Partner Award. This award recognizes the unsung heroes of the Dallas-Fort Worth community who share the vision and mission that Norma’s Cafe follows. Freis’ family accepted the award and a donation to Special Olympics Texas on behalf of Sergeant Freis on April 30.
“Everyone who knew Brad was always amazed and inspired by his passion for our athletes,” says Doug Ray, Senior Development Director for Special Olympics Texas. “Our athletes never had a better friend than Brad Freis. We are humbled and honored at Brad’s recognition, and to let our community know of his tremendous contributions, not only to Special Olympics Texas, but to the world.”
Beginning May 1 and throughout the month, Norma’s Cafe will be accepting donations for Special Olympics Texas. The Tip-A-Cop event will take place on May 22, when local law enforcement officers from the Dallas, Addison, Frisco, Plano and Collin County Community College Police Departments will serve Norma’s Cafe guests at all five locations from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Guest donations, tips and a portion of sales from the day will benefit Special Olympics Texas. In 2018, Norma’s Cafe and its guests raised more than $11,400 for the organization and its athletes.
As one of more than 75 chapters in North America, Special Olympics Texas provides year-round training and athletic competitions in a variety of Olympic-style sporting events for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics established the Texas Law Enforcement Torch Run four years after its partnership with law enforcement began in 1981. The event, in which law enforcement officers carry the “Flame of Hope” through community streets to their local Special Olympics games, has become the largest grassroots fundraiser for Special Olympics chapters worldwide, and the platform through which Sergeant Freis made his impact.
For more information about the Tip-A-Cop fundraiser, you can visit the Norma’s Cafe Facebook event here, or for more details on the Community Partner Award, please visit the Norma’s Cafe website here.
