Every year, thousands of law enforcement officers raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Missouri through the annual LETR Torch Run.

Due to COVID-19, we had to cancel the in-person portion our State Summer Games and the Torch Run. However, it's also creating an opportunity -- something typically reserved only for law enforcement officers.

For our 35th year, we are asking EVERYONE (law enforcement officers, coaches, families, SOMO athletes, sponsors, etc.) to run/walk/roll 3.5 miles in your neighborhood (anything is fine, really -- even .35 miles). Pay $10 to participate; pay/fundraise a total of $35 and you get a shirt (see below for the design)!

The official run will take place on Saturday, June 6, when we would have been gathered together in Columbia for the State Summer Games. If you can't participate on that day, you can take part any other day that week. Regardless of when you run, walk, or roll that week, take pictures and post them to social media with the hashtag #SOMOVirtualTorchRun so we can track and share them from our SOMO accounts.

If you'd like to fundraise to reach the $35 minimum for a shirt or to go above and beyond, you have that option. After you set up your personal page and pay the $10 registration fee, feel free to ask others to support you in this cause. Remember, that in order for you to receive a T-shirt by the week of the event, you must have your money raised by May 21. You do not need a Torch Run shirt in order to participate; it's just a perk!

We also encourage all runners to print off the torch, write the name of an athlete or team that you support (you can even let your kiddos color it!), and run with it as a reminder of why you do what you do!

Teams

You can sign up as an individual or a team. If you want to sign up with a team, you must FIRST sign up as an individual. Click the orange "Start fundraising" button at right to sign up as an individual. Then go into your page and "donate" / pay your $10 registration fee to your page. When you're on your personal fundraising page, under the main title "2020 Virtual Torch Run for Special Olympics Missouri" there 's a link labeled "Create a team."

If you ARE a participating Torch Run agency and want credit to go back to your agency, please either create a team with your agency name OR find your agency name in the team section and join it.

Questions? Email CSchuster@somo.org.