Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Nick Nordyke serves customers Wayne and Tami Nash in a previous Tip-A-Cop fund-raiser. NHP officers and Carson City Sheriff's deputies participated in the program to support Special Olympics.
If the law enforcement thing doesn't pan out for Trooper Nick Nordyke of the Nevada Highway Patrol, he can always pick up a gig waiting tables.
"He's awesome. I got the best one out of the bushel," said Applebee's server Danielle Cadway of Nordyke, who was shadowing her on the job Wednesday.
He, along with four other troopers and two Carson City sheriff's officers, worked the lunchtime crowd for the annual fund-raiser "Tip-A-Cop" to benefit Special Olympics.
Every customer who entered the restaurant was greeted by an officer. Drinks were refilled, tables were bused and food was delivered by the men and women in uniform.
As dinner tabs were dropped off, empty envelopes with the Special Olympics insignia were left behind in hopes the patrons would stuff a little cash in them to send local Olympians to the national games.
"We have gotten so many donations - at least 50 envelopes," said NHP Capt. Jackie Sandage.
The total raised during the lunch and dinner shifts worked in all three Applebee's locations wasn't available Wednesday night.
"This shows the human side of who we are and the public gets to really see us serving them," she added with a laugh.
There were no major disasters - if you don't count NHP Lt. Carl Johnson delivering food to the wrong table, or Nordyke coming dangerously close to dumping iced tea into someone's lap. Mostly, Trooper Scott Wiebke, an accident reconstructionist, looked at home behind the restaurant's oval bar.
Carson City Sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Schuette buzzed around the restaurant filling drinks and clearing tables like his paycheck depended on it.
And by the end of his shift, Nordyke, who admitted dressing too warm for the occasion and was still wearing his bulletproof vest, could carry two plates in one hand.
"Yeah, this was a lot of fun," he said.
n Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.