TIP-A-HERO TO AID SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

Byline: Daily News

Local firefighters will don aprons and serve as waiters for a fund-raising Tip-A-Hero dinner to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Special Olympics.

The firefighters will volunteer their time waiting tables from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Buca di Beppo's, 26940 Theatre Drive in Valencia Town Center. Any tips they receive from patrons will be donated to the Special Olympics.

``Firefighters are my heroes. They've done so much for our community and I'm proud to be a part of this great opportunity to bring them together with the Special Olympics for such a great cause,'' said Peter Han, Paisano Partner at Buca di Beppo's. ``We hope to build awareness in the community and encourage everyone to join us.''

The Santa Clarita Valley Special Olympics is beginning its seventh year of offering year-round sports training and competition for local athletes with mental retardation.

Individuals 8 years old and above can participate in 13 different sports, with ice-skating scheduled to be added next winter. There are approximately 400 special athletes who participate in the program and hundreds of volunteer coaches.

Since the founding of the Santa Clarita chapter, local firefighters and law enforcement officers have often volunteered their time to raise funds for the program. Numerous new restaurants have also partnered with Special Olympics to host these types of dinner fund-raising events.

Thursday's event will feature free fire hats to all children who attend and a $10-off coupon for the first 100 patrons to use toward their purchase. All those who make a $25 donation will receive a 2004 Tip-A-Hero T-shirt as a memento of the evening.

For information about the Tip-A-Hero dinner or information regarding volunteer opportunities, athlete registration or sponsorship opportunities, call the Special Olympics office at [phone].