Richard LaMunyon founded the “Law Enforcement Torch Run” in Wichita in 1981 — it has since grown into the largest fund-raising entity in the history of Special Olympics!

Richard LaMunyon (current Maize city administrator and former Wichita Police Chief) founded the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics in 1981 in Wichita. That first year, five officers ran five miles with five Kansas Special Olympics Athletes and $300 was raised.

Chief LaMunyon helped the fundraiser expand statewide, nationwide and worldwide when he approached the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 1982. And, in 1983, Chief LaMunyon approached International Special Olympics founder, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, for Law Enforcement to become a “funding” partner.

Fast forward to the present (2019)

• The Law Enforcement Touch Run movement is the largest fund-raising entity in the history of Special Olympics
  1981 = “5” Wichita Police Officers
  2018 = “110,000” Officers
• Every state in the US and 45 other Countries around the world.
  1981 = $300 (One Torch Run program – Wichita Police Department)
  2017 = $58,000,000 (120 Law Enforcement Torch Run programs)
  The end of 2021 goal is to have raised $1 Billion (40th year anniversary)

Chief LaMunyon recently attended the 2019 Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and he participated in Torch Run Final Leg…