Utica – On Tuesday Morning,June 7, 2016,the New York State Special Olympics Torch passed through Oneida County, carried by multiple running members of the local Law Enforcement community.
And there off! More than 50 members of local, state and federal law enforcement officers get behind Lauren Maraffa of Whitesboro as the torch moves through Utica.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics is a year-round fundraising and awareness movement organized by law enforcement officers from around the world.
Each year, law enforcement officers from across the state raise money and awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics New York by participating in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. For more than 24 years thousands of officers from hundreds of agencies across New York have been participating in LETR initiatives. For the first time ever in 2008, law enforcement officials raised over $1,000,000 for our athletes.
The torch passes through downtown Utica
More than 3,000 officers from Buffalo all the way to Long Island carry the “Flame of Hope” across the state from May through June 11th where the Torch will come into Opening Ceremonies of the 2016 Summer State Games at SUNY Brockport.
In addition to the Torch Runs, there are many special events that take place throughout the year to raise funds for the athletes of Special Olympics New York.
These Torch Run events not only raise money but also awareness for the Special Olympics movement, and involve literally thousands of law enforcement officers who volunteer their time to plan and organize events.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, the largest grassroots fundraising program benefiting Special Olympics, began in 1981 when Wichita , Kansas Police Chief Richard LaMunyon saw an urgent need to raise funds for and increase awareness of Special Olympics.
Members of “Leg #7” of the New York Law Enforcement Torch Run pause for a photo at the New Hartford Shopping Center
The idea for the Torch Run was to provide local law enforcement officers with an opportunity to volunteer with Special Olympics in the communities where the officers lived and worked.
Congratulations and a big “thank you” from The Mid-York Sports Report, to all of the members of the law enforcement community who volunteered their time on on Tuesday morning to keep this fantastic tradition going!
