NOVA Police Participates in Special Olympics Torch Run

April 26, 2023 / Faculty/Staff Highlights

On April 19, 2023, The NOVA Police Department partnered with the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and participated in the Virginia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 5K walk & run.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics engages law enforcement worldwide championing acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities, starting first with our own communities.   The LETR is the largest fundraiser for Special Olympics, since its inception, LETR has raised over 900 million dollars to help support Special Olympics and the athletes.

The idea for the Special Olympics movement began between the 1950s – 1960s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly people with intellectual disabilities were treated and decided to take action. This was also spurred on by the love of her sister, Rosemary, who had an intellectual disability and her family’s love of sports. She saw how sports brought all types of people together and could be a vehicle for change. Shriver started by hosting camps at her home and then in 1968, Special Olympics was officially incorporated and held its first international competition at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Special Olympics Virginia’s mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for persons with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

This year, Loudoun County law enforcement officers shared this experience with 10 local Loudoun County Public Schools as the runners carried the torch to the Loudoun Valley High School, where the torch was passed onto a Special Olympics athlete who completed the last part of the run. 

Over 40 law enforcement officers participated in this 5K event and over 200 Loudoun County Public School Students joined the festivities.

Photo taken on a local trail. All wearing black tee shirts with a design of a license plate with the word GUARDIANS on it. From Left to Right: Officer Kevin Fuentes, Sergeant Nicole Langlois-Fisher, Chief Jake Jacoby, Officer Tyrone Limos, and Sergeant Tony Ong.  In front, Officer Seyedehsara Ebrahimi.
From left to right: Officer Kevin Fuentes, Sergeant Nicole Langlois-Fisher, Chief Jake Jacoby, Officer Tyrone Limos, and Sergeant Tony Ong.  In front, Officer Seyedehsara Ebrahimi.

 

Submitted by:
Sgt. Tony Ong, NOVA PD, TOng2@nvcc.edu