It’s Saturday night at Red Lobster. Everything is normal, except for the two new servers.

Sure, they clear dishes and refill sodas as all good waiters do. These two, however, aren’t getting paid.

And they’re packing pistols.

Ames police officers worked Friday and Saturday nights at Red Lobster, 1100 Buckeye Ave., to raise money for this year’s Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

The three Ames police officers who served at Red Lobster this weekend – Robert Selby, Tom Shelton and Mark Watson – raised $1,256 for the charity.

Each year, Iowa’s law enforcement officers carry the Iowa Special Olympics flame to the opening ceremony in a relay; to do so, officers must raise a minimum of $25. Red Lobster launched the Cops and Lobsters program in 1995 to help Special Olympics runners raise these funds.

The program, which is in place at corporate Red Lobsters throughout the United States and Canada, allows law enforcement officers to wait tables and ask for donations in exchange. Cops and Lobsters raised more than $1.2 million nationwide last year.

“Every dime goes to Special Olympics,” said Todd Eikenberry, general manager of Ames Red Lobster.

Selby and Shelton worked for four hours Saturday night at Eikenberry’s restaurant.

Each covered half the restaurant, stopping at every table to explain their cause. They left envelopes behind for donations, which were usually returned full.

“I’m amazed, really, at the number of people who do donate,” Selby said. “Very rarely do I run into someone who doesn’t want to participate.”

In addition to requesting donations, Shelton and Selby gave gifts such as metallic Red Lobster chains and magnets.

The officers also interacted with the regular servers. The two groups traded personal expertise during the nights.

“Hold this,” one waiter said to Shelton as he handed him an empty tray. “And don’t move.”

The waiter returned to Shelton holding a customer’s ID, asking for help inspecting it. Shelton solemnly declared it valid, and the customer was then allowed to order alcohol.

“These people . work hard,” Selby said. “By the end of the night, I’m exhausted!”

Rob Mertens, a waiter at Red Lobster, said his customers tipped normally, even after donating to Special Olympics.

In spite of the possibility of receiving fewer tips, Mertens said he is pleased with the program. “[It] helps everybody out,” Mertens said.

Selby, who has been involved with Special Olympics for 12 years, said helping the athletes has “been the most rewarding thing I’ve done as a person and as an officer.”

Selby, Ames’ school resource officer, acts as a liaison between Ames schools and the police department.

Some of the Special Olympic athletes have been students he knew, he said, and when they won medals they made sure he knew it.

“When I’m done doing this, that’s what I’ll remember – my personal contact with individual students,” Selby said.