Decatur Tribune : 06/02/11
The Law Enforcement Torch Run® is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year through a variety of events to honor those who started the program in Illinois in 1986. Torch Run state committee members from the first five years will be honored at this year’s Special Olympics Illinois State Summer Games Reception and at Opening Ceremonies, both on June 10.
The Torch Run the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The annual intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and to gain awareness for the athletes who participate in Special Olympics Illinois. Each year, officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the “Flame of Hope” through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.
On Friday, June 10, legs of the run from all over the state will converge on Normal. That evening at dusk, in a dramatic moment during Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics Illinois State Summer Games, officers from every leg of the Torch Run will enter Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium with torches lit and hand off the “Flame of Hope” to Special Olympics athletes. When the cauldron is lit and the games declared open, 3,800 athletes will continue three days of competition and celebration.
When it began in 1986, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® raised $14,000 in Illinois. It has since grown into the largest fundraising vehicle for Special Olympics Illinois, raising more than $22.025 million since 1986. The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run® raised more than $2.9 million in 2010, making it the second highest grossing program in the world.
Perhaps one of the most motivating factors for law enforcement officers is the knowledge that their efforts will benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois. “We are involved in the Torch Run because it’s such a genuine project,” says Joe Peña, director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run® and Chief of the Channahon Police Department. “We’re helping Special Olympics athletes truly experience sports and competition while building life skills.”
Presenting Sponsors for the 2011 Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run® are Dunkin’ Donuts and Shop ’n Save; Gold Medal Sponsor is Illinois Knights of Columbus; Silver Medal Sponsors are Chicago Blackhawks and GEICO; Bronze Medal Sponsors are CARQUEST, Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, Kane County Chiefs of Police Association, AAA and Coca-Cola.
“Thanks to the Law Enforcement Torch Run® and its corporate sponsors, Special Olympics Illinois is better able to reach more athletes and offer them more year-round training and competition opportunities. Special Olympics Illinois athletes are able to participate in the program free of charge thanks to sponsors like the Law Enforcement Torch Run®,” says Doug Snyder, Special Olympics Illinois president and CEO. “Special Olympics programs help the 21,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities and more than 6,000 Young Athletes ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities in Illinois develop improved physical fitness and self-esteem.”
In addition to donations for running, officers raise funds in various ways throughout the year, including Polar Plunges, rooftop sits, raffles, bike rides, golf tournaments, bowl-a-thons, concerts and more.
To get involved in Law Enforcement Torch Run® activities in your area, call Jeff Henson at Special Olympics Illinois (1-800-394-0562), email him at jhenson@soill.org or contact your local law enforcement agency.
No comments:
Post a Comment