The La Grange Park Police Department continues the tradition of supporting the Special Olympics, hosting its Fourth Annual Burger Bash on September 21.
The event will be held at Posto 31 Restaurant, 1017 E. 31st Street, the upscale eatery that is supplying food for the event. All proceeds from the event will go toward the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
“These events are a great way to bring the community together to raise money for a great cause, the Special Olympics,” Detective Nick Spurgash, one of the Department’s point officers for the event, said.
The event is one of several the Police Department participates in in supporting the Special Olympics.
Others include a Golf Outing, the recently completed Car Show at Memorial Park, a Happy Hour at Hop District Brewery, 23 E. 31st Street, and the Polar Plunge, which, like the Happy Hour, is held in March.
The working concept behind the Burger Bash is to have six La Grange Park Police officers manning the grills, creating their specialty burgers.
People can taste the various burger creations — as much as they want — and the winner gets to take a trophy as the best burger chef.
The La Grange Park Department began supporting the Special Olympics about five years ago, shortly after Spurgash joined the department after four years with the Palos Park Police. He talked about the event’s origins.
“We met the owner of Posto (Jason Korinek), and we were kind of spitballing ideas about what we could do, and it was a collaboration with Jason,” Spurgash said. “We get six officers from the Police Department to make a specialty burger and we fundraise tickets for the event. Everyone gets to try each officer’s burgers as many times as they want. Then there are drinks and raffle prizes and all that money goes toward Special Olympics.”
Spurgash said that the Department’s involvement in the Special Olympics cause had raised an estimated $80,000 in the last five year. Last year alone their events raised more than $24,000, placing 30th in the State for departments participating in Special Olympics fundraising.
For Spurgash, supporting the Special Olympics is more than just another charity; he has an uncle who participated in them.
Sgt. Tim Griffin is another La Grange Park officer involved in the cause.
“The first year we started people loved it, so we make sure we plan it every year now, and it’s just grown every year,” he said. “We try to add more chefs, more burgers…people hear about what a great event it is, what a great cause it is, and it grows every year.”
Both Griffin and Spurgash stressed the commitment of Posto 31 owner Jason Korinek to the benefits, saying he provided all of the food for the night.
The La Grange Park’s benefit for Special Olympics, Burger Bash, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. September 21 at Posto 31, 1017 E. 31st Str.
Tickets are $40 for adults and include unlimited sampling of the burgers and two free drinks. Children’s tickets are $20 and include food and soft drinks.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.