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Special Olympics is truly "special." It is special in ways, which inspire and reveal the very best in human nature...something we in law enforcement do not often get to see.
Special Olympics and Law Enforcement have a unique partnership. The Law Enforcement Torch Run® is the largest grassroots fund raising program benefiting Special Olympics. Today, the event takes place in 50 states and 30 foreign countries. It has over 75,000 law enforcement officers participating worldwide. Right here in Wisconsin, we have 1,200 officers from 178 agencies who assisted in raising more than $1.2 million in 2003.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run® is a story of heart and conviction. What began in 1981 as a local one-run event in Wichita, Kansas was the brainchild of Wichita Police Chief Richard LaMunyon... who wanted to give his officers an opportunity to participate in something positive. In Wisconsin, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® originates in 17 different cities and converges on Stevens Point, the site of the Special Olympic Summer Games.
As an officer, I enjoy the chance to meet and participate in a worthwhile event with fellow law enforcement officers from across the state. My department benefits from the positive publicity aligned with this grassroots community project.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run® was initiated by the International Association of Chiefs of Police with the commitment of the law enforcement community for the purpose of increasing awareness of and raising funds for Special Olympics. Today I can tell you it is much more than that.
It is about friendships. It is about commitment to a cause. It is about the unlimited potential of the human spirit. The Law Enforcement Run®...where the energy and drive of a single human being can reach out to move hundreds and touch the heart of thousands.
Now you may be asking yourselves, what does this mean for me? How do I or how does my department fit in? Every June, I come to the annual Summer Games. There, I see more than 2000 athletes, 600 coaches and thousands of spectators and volunteers. I see courage, pride and skill demonstrated over and over again by individuals the world once thought incapable of such achievement. But most of all, I take home memories.....of athletes and officers alike......that will remind me time and again that human potential and the human spirit can never be limited. You too can share in those memories. Please commit to carry the Torch!
Thank you for your continued support - Sgt. G. Flunker
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