Join the Law Enforcement Torch Run®
June 2 • Indianapolis and Terre Haute
You’re invited to be part of the tradition as Law Enforcement Torch Run® (LETR) officers from across the state come together with Special Olympics athletes to carry the Flame of Hope from Indianapolis to Terre Haute to signify the start of the annual Special Olympics Indiana Summer Games.
The 2023 Torch Run will take place on Friday, June 2, with events in Indianapolis and Terre Haute. The Indianapolis event will begin with a ceremony at 9 a.m. at Victory Field followed at 9:30 a.m. by a 3-mile run that will highlight the Indiana Cultural Trail, Monument Circle, Indiana Statehouse and White River State Park. The 3-mile Terre Haute run will begin at noon at Indiana State University parking lot 21 and take participants throughout campus.
Known as “the Guardians of the Flame,” officers from across the state need to register and raise funds to earn their place at the Torch Run events and help carry the Flame of Hope alongside Special Olympics Indiana athletes. That shared experience will culminate at Summer Games with the lighting of the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony, a decades-long tradition that celebrates the transformative power of acceptance, diversity and inclusion.
Torch Run events are also open for Special Olympics Indiana athletes to participate for free. Community leaders, residents and businesses along the courses are invited to come out to cheer and support the hundreds of participating law enforcement officers and athletes.
LETR officers and agencies in Indiana who can’t make it to Indianapolis or Terre Haute can also coordinate runs locally. Contact Thaddeus Thomas for information on how to start a run in your community.
SO Indiana State Office Contact
Thaddeus Thomas
Manager of Special Events
Cop on a Rooftop
May 19 • Participating Dunkin’ Locations Statewide
Join us from 5 a.m.-noon on Friday, May 19, for our fifth-annual Cop on a Rooftop!
For these unique fundraising events, LETR officers will be stationed in, around and on top of participating Dunkin’ locations statewide to collect money that will go directly to support programming for Special Olympics athletes in Indiana. Dunkin’ guests who donate to Cop on a Rooftop will receive a coupon for a free donut. Guests who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
To date, Indiana LETR’s Cop on a Rooftop events have raised more than 118,000 dollars for Special Olympics Indiana.
Participate in More LETR Events
As part of LETR, local agencies can coordinate any activity that raises awareness and funds for Special Olympics Indiana athletes and create an enjoyable experience for law enforcement participants. Your agency can have pride in the program and we encourage you to make it your own. Contact Thaddeus Thomas at Special Olympics Indiana for more information. Join us on Facebook!
Tip-A-Cop
This event is held at any restaurant an “officer lead” chooses. Officers volunteer as “celebrity waiters” to receive “tips” to benefit Special Olympics Indiana. This event requires three to six officers, including one lead. Officers do not serve food.
Showdown of the Shields
How many repetitions can you handle? Teams of police, fire and EMS department members compete in three different weight competitions to see who will take the grand prize back to their department for completing the most number of reps.
Cover the Cruiser
This event can be held at any law enforcement community engagement event where there is a high volume of people. A police cruiser is needed along with a few supplies and 2-3 officers. Supporters donate, sign the icon and the officer places the icon on the police cruiser. The goal is to cover the entire cruiser with icons.
So Much More Than a Run!
The Law Enforcement Torch Run was founded in 1981 in Wichita, Kan., by Chief Richard LaMunyon. It has grown to be much more than a run — engages law enforcement and public safety agencies worldwide as champions for acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities through a variety of year-round events and other activities.
As the organization’s signature fundraising event, thousands of dedicated and compassionate LETR members — collectively known as the Guardians of the Flame — carry the Flame of Hope for Special Olympics athletes each year, symbolizing courage and celebrating the diversity that unites individuals around the globe.
LETR is the largest grassroots supporter for Special Olympics across the globe, promoting awareness and raising tens of millions of dollars each year to fund year-round sports training and competition plus health, education and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Funds raised by the Torch Run events in Indianapolis and Terre Haute will help Special Olympics Indiana provide sports training and competition at no cost to more than 16,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the state.