Law Enforcement Agencies Team Up For Special Olympics
Law enforcement officers from the Stanley Police Department and Mountrail County Sheriff’s Office joined together last week to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.
The departments were long-time supporters of the event, but had not participated in the past few years. Stanley officer Joseph Rivers says the cause is near to his heart. He coached and refereed for almost 25 years in Washington before moving to Stanley. He wanted to get it active again here in Stanley.
He has a goal of finding a chapter for the ND Special Olympics in Mountrail and eastern Williams Counties, but says the administrative side of that has to come first. They would like to work with the SROs in the school districts to see if there are students that would benefit from being involved in Special Olympics as well.
Either way, the goal is to get more involved and establish that presence in the area again.
The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run raises more than $50 million annually with more than 15,000 law enforcement officers from all over the world participating. The original Torch Run began in Kansas in 1981.
North Dakota’s run began as a 30-mile run and is now a multi-day relay that covers routes from Dickinson and Williston to the eastern part of the state, ending at the State Summer Games in Fargo.
The mission is to raise both dollars and awareness for Special Olympics. Many agencies hold other events including a truck pull that will be held on June 6 at the fairgrounds in Minot.
Special Olympics unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports. It empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities. Using sports as the catalyst as well as programming around health and education, Special Olympics works to end inactivity, injustice and intolerance.
Worldwide, Special Olympics has 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. In North Dakota, they provide year-round sports opportunities to more than 1,600 athletes and unified partners. With training and competitions in 15 Olympic-style sports, athletes strive to beat their personal bests, defying the odds. From swimming to snowboarding, from local soccer fields to the stage of the World Games, athletes showcase the talents and triumphs of people with intellectual disabilities.