Torch Runner Speeches

During each of our ceremony stops on the Final Leg, we will get to hear from an Athlete and a Torch Runner, who will share their LETR and Special Olympics journey with the attendees. 

For our athletes, each of them will have the opportunity to speak multiple times at ceremonies and special events as we traverse Italy. Because we have many more Torch Runners (74), only a handful will have an opportunity to speak.

Now, I know some of you HATE public speaking, but don't worry, we're not going to force anyone to give a speech. BUT I also know there are many of you who would love to share your story with the world - literally!

So, if you are interested in speaking to a crowd while we're in Italy, please inform your Team Leader. As soon as we nail down the number of ceremonies and special events, we'll make selections from those who have expressed interest, allowing as many as possible the chance to speak.

During the ceremonies, we will also hear speeches from a local government official (usually a mayor), and a high-ranking police official. 

At the conclusion of the speeches, there will be a gift exchange. Our athlete will present a very nice, encased medallion to the mayor, and the Torch Runner will provide a small gift to the police official. That small gift can be a shoulder patch from your agency, something representative of your region (a Vermont Torch Runner brought a small bottle of maple syrup), or some other item you think would be appreciated, or a combination of all of the above - it's up to you. It is not supposed to be lavish, so no Tiffany jewelry is necessary (you can save that for the Team Captain - just kidding!). In exchange, the athlete and Torch Runner will receive a small gift from the city officials.

Hope that all makes sense!

Can't wait to see a bunch of you on June 20th!

Mark

 

2025 World Games Logos

 

The Official 2025 World Games Logos

We are very excited to share with you the official logos for the 2025 Special Olympics World Games in Turin, Italy!

The unveiling of the official logo and formal naming convention for the Games now allows us to finalize our Final Leg logo. The 2025 Final Leg Team will have a logo unlike previous Final Leg logos and we'll be very excited to share it with you in the coming weeks. The basic structure of our logo will be the same, but there will be some exciting variations that we believe you will appreciate.

Additionally, we have had a few preliminary conversations with Special Olympics Italia regarding the Final Leg and I am confident by our meeting on June 20th we will have some substantive information to share.

In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy, and RUN, RUN, RUN!!

Full Team Meeting

 

Full Final Leg Team Meeting

Hello 2025 Final Leg Team.

On Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 4:30 PM EDT (USA), we will be hosting a full team zoom meeting. This call will include the following individuals:

• Final Leg Management Team
• Advance Teams
• Torch Operators
• Documentation Team
• Team Leaders
• Athlete Torch Runners
• Law Enforcement Torch Runners

The purpose of the meeting will be to put faces to names and share information about our trip to Italy in March 2025. We will share as much information as we know at the time of the meeting, and answer some of the questions you likely have.

The time of the meeting was selected to accommodate our very international team and allows teammates in Australia and Europe an opportunity to join at a time that's not too outrageous. We realize that not everyone will be able to make the meeting, so it will be recorded and posted for your review at a later time.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on June 20th (21st for those in Australia).

The link is below:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/9458736772?omn=92820190621

Meeting ID: 945 873 6772

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Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/advc2z5Rj6

Yes, We're Still Here!

 

Final Leg Planning

Hello Final Leg Team! Hoping this message finds all of you happy and healthy. This has turned out to be one of the most unusual Final Leg Planning cycles ever, primarily because we have yet to do any actual planning.

We have been told by our colleagues at Special Olympics Inc. to expect a six-month planning window, which means we likely won't hear much until later this summer. Normally, our planning cycle for a World Games Final Leg is about two years, so to plan this event in six months should provide for some faced-paced decision making.

If you followed the weather patterns in Italy this past March, you'll note that only a very small area of northern Italy gets a true, cold winter. So, trying to make plans for our uniform kit is challenging since we do not yet know where we'll be running. 

Bill Proll, (retried lieutenant from San Luis Obispo, California PD) is our fundraising lead this Final Leg and he has some outstanding ideas. But, like everything else, we can't pull the pin on those plans until we learn how viable they may be.

One thing hasn't changed, and that's KEEP RUNNING! 

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Be Safe please! It's been an excruciating year so far for our brothers and sisters.

 

 UPDATES TO THE FINAL LEG TEAM PORTAL

With the announcement yesterday of the Final Leg Teams, I have updated the Team Portal (on the LETR website) to include Team Lists (alphabetical and numeric) a Contact List for all team members and Team Photoboards.

In addition there is a link to a Team Information Page which (at the moment) displays the team lists in a different format.

More updates will appear on the Team Portal as further information comes to hand.

Scott

2025 Final Leg Teams

 

Introducing the Eight Teams for the 2025 LETR Final Leg

The Management Team is thrilled to unveil the eight teams for the 2025 Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg:

Each of the Team Leaders will be reaching out to you soon to begin the process of scheduling meetings for introductions and sharing information about the Final Leg.

Once we have met with our Italian planning counterparts, we will schedule a overall team meeting to pass on what information we have.

Hope to see you all soon!

 

                                             

An actual photo of our Logistics Team at Work

Logistics Team Nominations 

Open Monday

Greetings Final Leg Team! I hope this message finds you well! 

For the first time EVER, the Final Leg Planning Committee will be taking nominations for Logistics Team Members for the 2025 Final Leg in Italy.

The information packages regarding the positions will be sent out to all program CEO's, LETR Liaisons, and Torch Run Directors on Monday morning, U.S. time. Programs will be allowed to nominate one person from their program who meet one of the following requirements:

•  An active LETR member of the program in good standing
• A Special Olympics employee who performs the duties of an LETR Liaison 

There are many other requirements, including physical requirements, to be eligible. That information is included in the package.

Once the nominations are submitted (by no later than Friday, April 5, 2024), a committee will select the individuals who will be offered an invitation to the 2025 Final Leg as a member of the Logistics Team. The committee will be comprised of the Team Captain, Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee, a route leader and two Logistic Team Leads. 

The decision on those selected will be made within one week from the submission deadline.

We encourage you to assist your programs in identifying individuals you believe will function well in a Final Leg environment. 

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Psssst, are you running?