The
Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign to benefit the
Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics is an international organization created to two years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. There are also local, national and regional competitons in over 150 countries worldwide.-History:...
began in 1981 in
Wichita, KansasWichita is a city in and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2000 census its population was 344,284. The 2006 estimated population of 361,420 made it the 51st largest city in the country and the most populous city in Kansas...
and is the largest grass-roots fundraising movement for the Special Olympics.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run, or LETR as it is commonly abbreviated, is run by Police Officers, Sheriff's deputies, support staff, police volunteers and other law enforcement professionals from around the world.
Currently, close to 90,000 police professionals in over 35 countries participate in this worldwide effort to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics.
The
Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign to benefit the
Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics is an international organization created to two years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. There are also local, national and regional competitons in over 150 countries worldwide.-History:...
began in 1981 in
Wichita, KansasWichita is a city in and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2000 census its population was 344,284. The 2006 estimated population of 361,420 made it the 51st largest city in the country and the most populous city in Kansas...
and is the largest grass-roots fundraising movement for the Special Olympics.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run, or LETR as it is commonly abbreviated, is run by Police Officers, Sheriff's deputies, support staff, police volunteers and other law enforcement professionals from around the world.
Currently, close to 90,000 police professionals in over 35 countries participate in this worldwide effort to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics. Recently, the LETR has grown as a movement in several Latin American countries and is spreading to
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
.
Similar in many ways to the
Olympic Torch RelayThe Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
, the Law Enforcement Torch Run consists of scheduled relay events, usually held in conjunction and coordination with Special Olympics functions (like the Special Olympics Summer and Winter Games). While carrying the flame, officers and athletes are referred to as "Guardians of the Flame".
To the left: Tip-a-cop is a program that is done Once a year at
Claim JumperClaim Jumper is a restaurant chain headquartered in Irvine, California with 45 locations in Arizona, California, Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Wisconsin and Oregon. Founder Craig Nickoloff opened the first Claim Jumper Restaurant in Los Alamitos, California in 1977...
Restaurants in order to help.
In the broader sense, the LETR is used to define all of the special events, and fundraising activities that law enforcement conducts to contribute to this campaign. This includes (but isn't limited to), Tip-a-Cop events, Car Washes, Polar Bear Plunges, Roof Sits, Motorcycle Runs, Online Fundraising, T-shirt and Hat sales, Media Events, and more.
Every two years, the
Special Olympics World GamesThe Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organized by Special Olympics....
are held. This brings about a special torch run called the "Final Leg Run." During a final leg run, law enforcement, together with Special Olympic athletes run the
Flame of Hope1. The Flame of Hope is a flame that was lit in 1989 as a tribute to Dr. Frederick Banting, who in 1922 discovered insulin, and all the people that have lost their lives to diabetes. The flame will remain lit until there is a cure for diabetes....
together throughout the host country for the games, spreading awareness for Special Olympics. This culminates with the lighting of the cauldron for the flame of hope at the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics World Games. In 2007, the Summer World games will be held in Shanghai, China.
Every year, members of the LETR converge at the International LETR conference to exchange ideas, and network about
Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics is an international organization created to two years, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. There are also local, national and regional competitons in over 150 countries worldwide.-History:...
awareness and fundraising techniques. In 2007, this conference will be held in
OklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,617,316 residents in 2007 and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Participants in the LETR help spread the word about the benefits of Special Olympics and how the program helps define the brave participants of these programs as athletes, and not define them by their disabilities.
External links