With temperatures in the upper 70s at the beginning of next week, Monday evening promises to be the perfect time to enjoy a cone — and spend some time with local law enforcement officers.

Fort Dodge Santa’s Helpers, a local community group, is hosting Cones with Cops from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday at Snack Shack Treats N Eats, 11 S. 16th St., connecting community members with members of the Fort Dodge Police Department, all while enjoying some frozen treats.

The foundation of this event began last year, said Linette Nelson, of Fort Dodge.

“With all of the criticism around the country toward police officers and police officers within the community, I wanted to do something,” Nelson said.

Nelson started Fort Dodge Santa’s Helpers a few years ago to help families in need during the holidays, but since then, the program has expanded into the summertime as well, with Cones For Kids last year.

“I connected with Roger Porter, who was the chief at the time, and asked him if I was able to raise enough money to get these coupons, if he would be interested in having the Police Department hand those out while on patrol to kids they see out in the community playing or doing something nice,” Nelson said. “He was completely on board for that.”

Nelson reached out to Shea Springer at the Snack Shack, who gave her a deal on the cone coupons, and they were able to give 300 coupons for the FDPD officers to hand out over the summer.

This year, when Nelson set out to raise funds for the coupons again, she received support from Serving Our Servants, Shimkat Motor Co. and Mid-Iowa Towing, who each volunteered to provide matching funds for the initiative.

“Between all of the community donations and the matching donations, we ended up having way more money this year than last year,” Nelson said. “We were actually going to have more coupons out with the Police Department that will be circulating this year than they could get out to kids in the community.”

With so much money left over, she said, she was talking to Chief Dennis Quinn and suggested having an ice cream social with officers and the community.

“I think it’s very, very important as these kids are growing up that we build these relationships with the Police Department from that young age,” Nelson said. “This allows them to have that positive connection and relationship with our local Police Department. I mean, what’s better than having a police officer pull up and give you free ice cream cones?”