Torch Run highlights renewed Special Olympics efforts

Local law enforcement from Libby, Troy and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office led the way Wednesday, shepherding the Special Olympics Torch from the Idaho border to the eastern edge of the county. But when they ended their run route that day, their work for Special Olympics was far from over.

The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is a major event, said Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Fisher, who organized the local effort. Since he was first assigned to oversee the torch relay in southern Lincoln County, it has gone from an added duty to a personal passion.

Troy Police Chief Katie Davis said that Fisher is the one who got her involved in Special Olympics, including events beyond the torch relay. She echoed sentiments shared by Fisher: that helping raise money and awareness for the organization brings a little light to her role as a police officer.

“We don’t always have the most positive job,” Davis said. “We don’t deal with a lot of happy people.”

For many of the officers who Fisher has talked with about their involvement with Special Olympics, the experience has been a career saver, he said.

There is a camaraderie and open acceptance between the officers who take part in Special Olympic events and the athletes that participate, Davis said. Last year, she went to the lighting of the caldron for the summer games.

“It was really neat to see, just, officers from all over participating, and just how big of an event it really is,” she said. “It’s something that you really need to see to appreciate.”

This year, both Davis and one of the Troy reserve officers, Tucker Winn, accompanied the torch by bicycle from the Idaho border.

Winn, who started with the department in December, has never been involved in something like this before, he said. Hearing Davis talk about it sparked his interest.

“I just think it’s a good way to spread the word,” he said.

Before starting, Tucker said he didn’t know what to expect from the experience. But, even after riding up the hill from Troy to the weigh station east of town, he was still smiling.

“I think you’re first year, you really don’t know,” Davis said.

But once a participant sees the impact both in helping the organization and on the individuals involved, they can’t help but be amazed by the experience, Davis said.

“It’s really neat to see that many people that care,” she said. “There are a lot of families affected by this positivity.”

Let the light shine

Davis said that she, Ben and other officers are talking with the local schools about getting a Special Olympics team restarted in south Lincoln County.

There hasn’t been a local team for several years, Fisher said. The cause seems to simply be that as the coaches and teachers who kept the team going retired or died, there was no one ready to take on the time-consuming effort.

He has talked with Achievements Inc. in Libby about putting together a team, but the people they have are already overstretched with the work they do now, he said.

Fisher said they are still trying to raise awareness in the community that there is a significant population of people who could benefit from a renewed program locally.

“We do have a lot of interest though,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of people that are interested in being coaches and helping out.”

In it together

But the goal isn’t just to have a team for people with special needs, Davis said. The program they are pursuing would intermingle Special Olympic activities with the existing sports programs at the school.

The program through Special Olympics is known as Unified Schools, and also has grant opportunities to help with funding, she said.

“It sets them up for success after school. They’ll have the opportunity to just be an athlete,” she said. “And it also teaches the rest of the school some compassion and how to include everyone.”

The Unified School movement came from a desire to help the average school students see their counterparts with disabilities as an integral part of their community, rather than a separate group, Fisher said.

“All they’re looking for, they want to be included,” he said. “They don’t want to be outcasts, they don’t want to be forgotten about — they would like to be included.”

Davis said that things have improved in schools in general compared to what she remembers from her own childhood.

“Any of the kids that had any sort of disability were all just kind of kept at bay in their own room, and you didn’t really see ‘em,” she said. “Now, here in our area, it’s so neat because they’ll be included in the classrooms.”

Still, participation in the Unified Schools program would help to take that another step, she said.

As parents, both Davis and Fisher said they have seen the effect on their own children from being involved.

Fisher said his 11 year old daughter — who participated in the Torch Run — has been going with him to conferences for the last three years.

“She has really taken a liking to the whole program,” he said.

“She’s going to be a great ambassador,” Davis said. “We have a couple kids that are just really — they have hearts of gold, and anything they can do to include everybody.”

Davis said her own 9 year old daughter is already eager to get involved.

“We’re training small adults, so every little bit of positivity we can put into them — my kids are pretty inclusive, and Ben’s are the same way,” she said. “I think that it’s something they’re going to take with them through high school, through adulthood, and hopefully they’ll be able to carry the torch.”

Though the Torch Run is done for this year, there are still other opportunities to get involved, as well as to start preparing for next year. Anyone interested in helping with local efforts and fundraising can contact Fisher at 406-291-9442.