GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Oct. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- There are new servers in town at Red Robin! Law enforcement members around the country will trade their ticket books for order pads and unite at participating Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews restaurants to serve guests for a special cause. Red Robin's 11^th annual Tip-A-Cop^® events will take place on Thursday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 22 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., at more than 400 restaurants in 39 states. Law enforcement members will volunteer their time as servers alongside Red Robin's wait staff to raise funds for local Special Olympics Programs in their communities.

"Red Robin is proud to continue our annual Tip-A-Cop tradition and generate valuable awareness for Special Olympics programs in our communities," said Jonathan Muhtar, Red Robin's senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "More than $600,000 was raised last year and we look forward to welcoming law enforcement members back into our restaurants to serve gourmet burgers and Bottomless Steak Fries to our guests."

Tip-A-Cop is part of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run^® (LETR) campaign in support of Special Olympics. LETR is supported by more than 100,000 law enforcement members worldwide who help raise money and public awareness for Special Olympics. As the largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics, LETR funds raised go directly to local programs in states or countries where the funds are generated.   

"In the last 11 years our law enforcement community has participated in the annual Red Robin Tip-A-Cop events, we have steadily increased the funds we have raised for Special Olympics and strengthened the already existing incredible bond law enforcement has with Special Olympics," said Michael Teem, executive director, Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. "These events are possible and extremely successful because of the grassroots support from each community, the participation from law enforcement and the generosity from Red Robin and Coca-Cola."

In 11 years, Tip-A-Cop events at Red Robin restaurants have raised more than $3.3 million to support both Special Olympics and the mission of inclusion and acceptance for people with intellectual disabilities.  This funding continues to support year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports throughout the United States.

For a complete list of upcoming Tip-A-Cop events at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews restaurants, please visit www.redrobin.com/specialolympics. To learn more about Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or to find a restaurant location near you, please visit www.redrobin.com.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB)
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., and under the trade name, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews, is the Gourmet Burger Authority^™, famous for serving more than two dozen craveable, high-quality burgers with Bottomless Steak Fries^® in a fun environment welcoming to guests of all ages. Whether a family dining with kids, adults grabbing a drink at the bar or teens enjoying a meal, Red Robin offers an unparalleled experience for its guests. In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts and signature beverages. Red Robin offers a variety of options behind the bar, including its extensive selection of local and regional beers, and innovative adult beer shakes and cocktails, earning the restaurant a VIBE Vista Award for Best Beer Program in a Multi-Unit Chain Restaurant.  There are more than 540 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada, including Red Robin Burger Works^® locations and those operating under franchise agreements. Red Robin… YUMMM^®! Connect with Red Robin on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics
The LETR was founded 35 years ago by Wichita Police Chief Richard LaMunyon when five law enforcement officers carried the torch for the Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games in Wichita. The LETR has since evolved to a volunteer partnership with Special Olympics to champion acceptance and inclusion.  It has become a worldwide community of law enforcement members rallying to support Special Olympics, the impetus for millions of new friendships around the world, and a series of events including Torch Runs, Polar Plunge fundraisers, and Tip-A-Cop® events.   The LETR is the largest grassroots fundraiser for Special Olympics with more than 100,000 law enforcement participants around the world.  It was announced at the 2016 LETR conference that the LETR has raised a cumulative sum of over 600 million dollars since its inception in 1981 and more than $55 million in 2015 for Special Olympics athletes. Visit www.letr.org for more information and engage with us on: Twitter @LETRforSO and fb.com/letr.org.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 5.3 million athletes and Unified partners in 169 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 108,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by many individuals, foundations and partners.  To see a full list of partners click here.  Engage with us on: Twitter@specialolympics, fb.com/specialolympics, youtube.com/specialolympicshq, Instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

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