SOMO News

The John Michael Letz Award is the highest honor given within Missouri’s Law Enforcement Torch Run. It is our unsung hero award.

The criteria for recipients include being responsible for significant fundraising results and participating in year-round support; exemplifying the Special Olympics mission and being a visionary for the Torch Run. The winner of this award is someone whose source of motivation comes from helping the athletes and who shows sustained commitment over a period of time.

We have many who are Torch Run enthusiasts; most we don’t know. We don’t know them because they don’t do the work for the recognition – and that’s why they are deserving of the Letz Award. They are usually in the background working to do more.

About this year’s recipient:

• Began their LETR career by running in their local leg of the torch run
• Served as the agency coordinator for their agency
• Serves on the local Polar Plunge committee and has been instrumental in growing this event to where it is today
• Organized a leg of the Torch Run in their city, involving local athletes.
• Has driven the torch from one city to another between runs, to ensure each route in their region had the torch for their run.
• Although this recipient has retired from their LETR agency, they remain involved in all events within their region; helping to coordinate and by participating when possible.
• Served first as the assistant Region coordinator for their region before taking over as Region coordinator for 4 years. This recipient remained as Region coordinator, even after retiring, to ensure the right replacement was in place before stepping down.
• When the local LETR committee was asked to help with lunch for the area Spring Games, this recipient was instrumental in providing a free BBQ lunch to the athletes and even volunteered to do the cooking.
• This recipient’s nominator said “It didn’t take me long to see how passionate and dedicated this recipient was to the program. Although our region has had some change, a few things have stayed constant: This recipient’s commitment and dedication to the LETR and his love for the SOMO athletes. Because of his efforts, the Flame of Hope is still burning bright in North Missouri.”
• The 2018 Letz “Unsung Hero” Award goes to – – Lynn McClamroch – MO Dept. of Conservation, retired