In 1981, Chief Richard LaMunyon of the Wichita, Kansas Police Department saw that Special Olympics was in urgent need of funds. At the same time he had been feeling a need to get his officers out in to the community, getting to know people and giving folks a chance to see beyond the badge.
Chief LaMunyon organized a local torch run for his officers to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics. After three very successful years, he presented this idea to the International Association of Chiefs Of Police (IACP) and received enthusiastic support.
Chief Robert Bell of Bridgton, Maine was at the meeting and loved the idea. He returned to Maine and met with the Special Olympics Maine founder, Mickey Boutilier, who also thought it was a wonderful idea. In 1984, Maine, along with 6 other states, held Torch Runs for their own State Special Olympics programs. By 1986, The Torch Run took place in 43 states and in 1997 it went Global. Today, the Law Enforcement Torch Run is held in over 100 countries and has approximately 97,000 law enforcement members who participate.
Known as The Guardians of the Flame, law enforcement members carry the Special Olympics Flame of Hope into the Opening Ceremonies of their local, or state competitions. The torch is also carried into national and international Special Olympic events.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics began as an international series of torch relays run by law enforcement members. Today, it has grown into one of the largest grassroot fundraising campaigns for Special Olympics. Officers now raise money and awareness year round for Special Olympics.
Since 1984, the Maine Law Enforcement Torch Run has grown to over 800 members covering the entire state. In addition to the Torch Run, members of Maine Law Enforcement also participate in Tip A Cop events where they go in to their local restaurants and assist wait staff for additional tips for Special Olympics. They also shave their heads, sell candles, hold an annual Harley raffle, serve ice cream, deliver pizza, offer voluntary toll booths, sell icons, sell portions of the run, get runner shirt sponsors, pump gas and wash windshields, and jump in to a hole in the ice in March during their annual Ice Out Plunge.
Last year the Maine Law Enforcement Torch Run was responsible for raising close to $400,000 for Special Olympics Maine. With an annual budget for Special Olympics Maine of over 1.3 million dollars, the LETR is crucial to the continued success of the program.
Maine Law Enforcement members have gone above and beyond the call of duty for 35 years. They use vacation days and personal time to volunteer at events. There are members who actually take a weeks vacation to sit at Fairs and sell Harley raffle tickets. We have members who are battling Stage 4 cancer, going through chemo and radiation treatments and are still volunteering their time. We have members who have suffered great personal loss and yet still show up because they promised one of our athletes that they would be there. They serve on local management teams, they serve on our Board of Directors, they volunteer at events helping to run them or to award medals and ribbons to the athletes. They make our athletes feel important and safe.
We have an athlete who, upon getting his very first apartment, was bullied and harassed by some young men in the building. He would stay up at night sitting against his door with a baseball bat. After meeting one of our officers at a Special Olympic event, he was finally able to go to bed at night because he felt like his friend would be there to protect him if he needed him.
We had an officer fighting stage 4 cancer, who continued to camp out on the roof of a local business because “Cop on Top” was his thing. Maine Law Enforcement take the “To Protect and Serve” motto very seriously. In addition to keeping us safe, they have been serving the athletes in Special Olympics Maine for 35 years. We could not do what we do without them.
The next Maine Law Enforcement Torch Run event is the annual ICE OUT PLUNGE which is open to the public and we would love to have more people join us. Participants will be jumping in to a hole in the ice, surrounded by the former North Woods Law guys, in Maranacook Lake in Winthrop on Saturday March 16th. Here are all of the details: https://www.somaine.org/ice-out-plunge-2019.
Are you a middle school, high school or college student? We have a plunge for you also, the same day. Here are the details for the student plunge: https://www.somaine.org/2019-big-chill-plunge.
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Lisa Bird has been the Director of Public Relations & Athlete/Youth/Law Enforcement Initiatives for Special Olympics Maine for 27 years. Lisa is a graduate of both the University of Maine in Farmington and Orono and sings in the Christian Band, Fulcrum. She lives in Gorham with her husband Frank of 21 years and their teenage, hockey playing sons Noah and Jonah.
