The Owensville Police Department held a Dunk-A-Cop fundraiser on July 9 at Walmart that raised $2,400 to help offset the Gasconade County R-2 School District’s lunch fund.

The district’s school resource officer, Brenn Finley, sat in the dunking booth while passersby paid for the opportunity to throw a ball at a release button that dropped him into the dunking tank.

Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy said on Monday that the district has not yet received the funds, but that they are much appreciated.

“They have done (the fundraiser) pre-COVID and it is to help families who need assistance in paying lunch bills,” Hardy said. “Right now we don’t have any (lunch bills) so it is to fund accounts during the upcoming school year.”

Hardy added that due to COVID the past two school years have included free lunches for everyone. However, the free lunch grant expired with the 2021-22 school year.

“It’s not going to be free next year,” Hardy said. “What (the fundraiser does) is take students whose accounts are in the negative and our food services secretary goes through and distributes the amount of those accounts.”

Funds are used to bring student lunch accounts up to a positive balance.

“The amount students receive depends on the amount they raised,” Hardy said. “We have a lot of community members that contribute in different ways to the school, but the OPD has consistently contributed up until COVID for free lunches.”

Individuals may also donate to the fund. “They can specify where they want the donation to go,” Hardy said.

To donate to the lunch fund, contact the district Administration Building at 573-437-2177.