May 2, 2007

DOC, AFSCME Council 24 Announce Support for Special Olympics Wisconsin

 

Agency, Labor Union  urge members and employees to support 2007 Law Enforcement Torch Run

MADISON – To help the 10,000 athletes of Special Olympics Wisconsin, the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 24 today announced their joint support for this year’s Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) events in June.

As the biggest grassroots fundraiser for the Special Olympics, the LETR offers year-round athletic training and competition opportunities for children and adults with cognitive disabilities. During the final leg, officers and athletes will carry the “Flame of Hope” from all corners of Wisconsin to Stevens Point for the State Summer Games.

“Our employees have generously donated their time outside work to help the Special Olympics be successful,” said DOC Secretary Matt Frank. “Through our ongoing collaboration with Special Olympics and AFSCME Council 24, which represents thousands of DOC employees, we urge staff to continue with this giving spirit and increase volunteer participation in the LETR. We are proud to work with law enforcement officers and agencies all across Wisconsin which have made the LETR a successful event for so many years.”

AFSCME Council 24 Executive Director Marty Beil said: “We are proud to partner again this year with the DOC in helping the LETR be such a huge success. Our members stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their brothers and sisters in the rest of law enforcement in making this truly a ‘Flame of Hope’ for those citizens that have cognitive disabilities. This is only a small reinvestment back to our communities for all they do for us.”    

Over the past 20 years, members of the DOC, alongside law enforcement agencies across the state, have volunteered their time to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run and other Special Olympics activities. Wisconsin’s LETR celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. Participation by DOC employees increased nearly three-fold last year with 62 registered participants, up from 16 in 2005. Department staff also participate in other Special Olympic events throughout the year, including the Polar Plunge. The giving spirit of Wisconsin DOC staff was proudly represented in the Final Leg leading to the first USA National Games for Special Olympics last June and July by Daryl Pries, who is a Sergeant at Stanley Correctional Institution.  

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