As David O’Malley, Albany County Sheriff, appeared on the hill running down 15th Street toward Deti Stadium, “Flame of Hope” torch in his hand, a roar of excitement ran through the neighborhood.
Hundreds of people from around the state welcomed the law enforcement group running to the stadium to officially open the Special Olympics Wyoming Summer Games. The group picked up the torch a few hours earlier from Cheyenne law enforcement to deliver it to the opening ceremonies for the event.
“It touched my heart. It brought tears in my eye,” Brenda Ocheskey, Cheyenne resident, said. “Special Olympics always had a special place in our hearts.”
For many years, Ocheskey has been attending Special Olympics in Laramie with her brother John Patton, an athlete who has participated in the event since its inception in Wyoming 40 years ago.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) in Wyoming. The largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle worldwide, LETR started in Kansas in the 1980s to give law enforcement agencies an opportunity to get engaged in Special Olympics.
Since its inception in Wyoming, LETR has raised more than half a million dollars to support Wyoming athletes.
Having several law enforcement agencies engaged in the run (including police department, sheriff’s department, Wyoming Highway Patrol and Wyoming Game and Fish Department) helps the Special Olympics reach many communities around the state, Priscilla Dowse, president and CEO of Special Olympics Wyoming, said earlier.
It is also an opportunity to build a positive relationship between law enforcement and the community, Officer Melinda Miller said.
“It’s an amazing experience to do what we do and to feel so welcomed. And we feel so honored to be able to do this for the community,” she said. “A lot of people may think law enforcement (representatives) are kind of scary but it’s a positive thing, for sure. It makes us more approachable, too.”
About 40 law enforcement officers from Laramie participated in the run, Mike Samp, coordinator of the run in Laramie and assistant chief of the UW Police Department, said.
“It was great and I had no idea how many people were going to be here until we came over the hill. It’s just phenomenal. It gave me goose bumps. I didn’t expect that many people,” O’Malley said. “Mike (Samp) asked me to do it this year and I really appreciate him for doing that because it’s been a really good experience. When you come over the hill, you see the stands are full and you realize what efforts are put forth by people to make sure these athletes get to compete. And it’s pretty emotional.”
For more information about the games go to the Special Olympics Wyoming website, www.specialolympicswy.org.
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