Athlete highlight: David Booth

David Booth has been a Special Olympics Minnesota athlete for four years, since June 2018. He currently participates in basketball, poly hockey and softball. But that’s not the only way David is involved at SOMN. He is one of our athlete leaders and serves on two committees: Athlete Leadership and Health & Wellness. He also serves on our Board of Directors, representing his fellow athletes throughout the state.

David is fairly new to the LETR movement and "finds it an amazing program that presents a way for our law enforcement to go out and be part of the inclusive, diverse communities that make up our beautiful state!" So far, David has participated in 2 Plunges and plans to become more involved in the years ahead.



"Special Olympics, for me, is not only a place where I feel accepted and included in society, but has given myself the tools to bring positive joy through the impact of sport. I recommend all officers to join LETR as a way to reinforce your drive to serve and protect our communities while offering the opportunity to be a part of the Inclusion Revolution!"

Event recap: Polar Plunge

A big thank you again to everyone who participated in the 2023 Polar Plunge season! This great event brings together many of our law enforcement partners, SOMN athletes and our communities. Because of your generous involvement, we raised over $4.7M with 17,000+ participants!

We are continuing Cool School Plunges through April using our mobile Plunge unit. Check our schedule to see if there is a location near you. If so, please come out and support the students!

Upcoming event: Final Leg - June 19-24

The Final Leg represents the culmination of all LETR events that have occurred throughout the year. It is a salute to all law enforcement officers who have participated, volunteered and made donations for Special Olympics Minnesota. Starting in all corners of the state, running through cities of all sizes and finishing in the Twin Cities; officers and their families and friends will deliver the Flame of Hope to Opening Ceremonies at Summer Games.

In 2023, the Final Leg takes place June 19-24. It costs $20 and includes a limited-edition t-shirt or hat. Don't want to run? Join on bike or just come to cheer.

For more info, contact Emma Fiedler at emma.fiedler@somn.org.

Guardians of the Flame

The Law Enforcement Torch Run® (LETR) is the largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics in the world. The Minnesota LETR is supported by the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association and Minnesota Fraternal Order of Police.

The Minnesota Law Enforcement Torch Run presents many fundraising events throughout the year, raising millions of dollars for Special Olympics Minnesota:

Cop On Top

Final Leg

Plane Pull

Polar Plunge

Tip-A-Cop

Truck Convoy

Upcoming event: Dunkin' Cop on a Rooftop

Dunkin' Cop on a Rooftop is happening on Friday, May 19. Anyone who stops by and donates to SOMN on the 19th will receive a coupon for a free donut or coffee!

Exact timing and locations will be shared later, so keep your eye out! Please reach out to Cat at catherine.jensen@somn.org if you're interested in hosting a Dunkin' location!

LETR highlight: Mike Thamm

My name is Mike Thamm and I am a police officer in Duluth, Minnesota. I first got involved with the Law Enforcement Torch Run in 2000 when a local Special Olympics Minnesota coach asked our Fraternal Order of Police group if we had ever done a Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. We had never heard of it. I thought Special Olympics was just an annual summer track & field event that special needs children held at a track somewhere. The idea of raising money to help these "kids" by jumping into Lake Superior sounded like fun. A group of us made up sweatshirts and got a few others (37 people our first year) to raise about $1,300. It was held during a heavy snowfall in February 2000 and we had a great time. We have continued holding the Plunge every year since. It has grown into one of the biggest winter events in the area and has raised well over a million dollars for Special Olympics Minnesota!

So what have I learned through these past 20+ years? Well, first of all, those "kids" turned out to be people of all ages and demographics who participate in over a dozen sports throughout the entire year. Special Olympics Minnesota programs offer lots of ways to get people with intellectual disabilities out of the house, get together and be a part of something big. I am proud we have helped make the Special Olympics Minnesota program one of the biggest in the world. The Law Enforcement Torch Run’s support gives thousands of people opportunities to do things they might otherwise never get to experience. I have met and made friends with a dozen or more athletes and their families over the years. I've met many more. I've had the opportunity to share life events with them and watch them grow into confident, proud people. We have appeared on the radio and TV together spreading the word about what Special Olympics is and what the program does for people. The athletes and their families give me and other officers constant support. Being around them is energizing. The positive attitudes are contagious.

Most of the cops I have spoken with about Special Olympics are hesitant to become involved. If I am able to convince them to show up at even one event, they see the enthusiasm and start getting high fives and hugs and then they are hooked. I like to say that being at a Special Olympics Minnesota event opens your eyes and fills your soul. I have volunteered at so many different events, I can't remember them all. These include poly hockey, basketball and track & field, and I even helped coach golf. My favorite events have been the bowling tournaments. I spend hours presenting the medals and ribbons and taking pictures with the athletes. I usually get a free lunch, too!

I’ve been a police officer for 25 years now. The job, admittedly, has taken a lot from me. We see all of the bad guys and see the good guys on their worst days. Being involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics through the years has been an amazing way to remind myself of the good things that exist in the world when it seems everything is constantly getting worse. Hooray for Special Olympics Minnesota and the athletes!

Community engagement

If you are interested in volunteering, register for one of our upcoming events:

Sat Apr 15 - Basketball - St. Michael

Thu Apr 20 - Basketball - St. Paul

Sun Apr 23 - Swimming - St. Paul

Wed Apr 26 - 2023 USA Games Logo Reveal - Bloomington

Sat Apr 29 - Basketball & swimming - Duluth

Sun Apr 30 - Swimming - Rochester

Sat May 6 - Basketball - Hastings

Sat May 6 - Track & field - Grand Rapids

Sun May 7 - Basketball - St. Peter

Fri May 12 - Track & field - Detroit Lakes

Sat May 13 - Track & field - Minneapolis

Sat May 13 - Track & field - Cold Spring

Sat May 20 - Track & field - Redwood Falls

Sun May 21 - Track & field - Rochester

Save the date for Summer Games!

June 17-18 - Gymnastics and swimming - Edina

June 24-25 - Basketball and track & field - Stillwater

See Summer Games volunteer opportunities

See Healthy Athletes volunteer opportunities (for medical professionals & students)

Check out our LETR website! We have information on all our LETR events, new recruitment presentations and handouts, information about open positions on our Executive Council and much more. To get further involved with the Law Enforcement Torch Run, go to our website at somn.org/letr or contact Kean Corkery at kean.corkery@somn.org.