The 40th Anniversary of Michigan's Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics (LETR) takes place in just over a month and the participants gearing up for a successful event.
The 705-mile run will cover country roads and highways from Copper Harbor in the Keweenaw Peninsula in the far western U.P. to Belle Isle in Detroit.
LETR is a group of law enforcement and corrections personnel that raises funds and awareness for the Special Olympics.
Carla White, Corrections Program Coordinator – VPP/PSD, is one of the team captains for the U.P. Travel Team.
"This team will stay in the U.P. and run in different community runs across the U.P. during the Flame of Hope Week. This team will be on the road the entire week of September 8th. There are eight of us on this team, all in some form of Law Enforcement from across the U.P. Every day we will go to different communities and do a small, slow-paced community run to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics. This team will be in the following communities during that week with more possibly being added in the coming days: Copper Harbor, Menominee, Iron Mountain, Marquette, Escanaba and Munising," White explained.
The distance each runner covers will vary and ranges anywhere from 1.5 miles up to 5k.
"There are four other teams out on the road during this week also. We have three central route teams that will run from Copper Harbor to Belle Isle in a non-stop relay-type run. These runners will be on the road 24/7. The teams are from the Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections and the Fraternal Order of Police. These runners will run five legs at a time and keep leapfrogging each other across the state," White said.
The Torch Run is nothing new to White.
"I’ve been a part of the Torch Run and Special Olympics for 24 years and I started because of my job in corrections. That got me involved. It is, by far, the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my career and life. Special Olympics athletes are true inspirations to so many and remind me on a daily basis that life is not that bad and I can overcome anything. I am currently on the Executive Council for our LETR program here in Michigan and have been since 2012. I am a better person because of Torch Run and Special Olympics athletes. I also have been chosen to represent Michigan’s Torch Run program in the Final Leg Run in Italy for the Special Olympics World Winter Games taking place there in March of 2025," White added.
This link (2024 Flame of Hope) shows all of the community runs taking place across the state that week.
Shiloh Rutherford is a Trooper with the Michigan State Police in Manistique, served 12 years in the Michigan Army National Guard as a military police officer, a wife and a mother of two young children. She also takes physical fitness very seriously working out just about every day of the week.
Rutherford is ready to do her part in supporting the Special Olympics.
"I do it all because my kids inspire me to be the best I can be and I want to show them that you can make a difference and achieve anything you set your mind to! I just believe in giving back. People say they want to change the world, but it really starts right here in the community. If we make an impact in our own communities, that has a ripple effect, and ultimately, that’s what changes the world. Showing up, doing what you can to help others, and being a good human being! Special Olympics is a great organization and has helped so many individuals not only stay in competition but also give them a sense of pride and purpose that society sometimes likes to try and strip away from them. I want the community to see this as a good thing and really see that I pour my heart into things like this. I want the community to see from this segment that police officers are people, and some are really good people who have families, work hard, and want to give back as much as they can to the communities they serve," Rutherford said.
If you would like to contribute to Rutherford's Torch Run, click here.
