September 7, 2021

A Word from the President – March 1st 2020

Welcome to the LETR Victoria Newsletter, our first for 2020 and my first as the recently elected President of LETR Victoria. It is an honour for me to serve in this role and I am aware, and almost scared, of the large shoes I need to fill. One of the founders of our program back in 2008, and our past president, Michael Olsen has done so much for the Victorian Torch Run program. His shared vision, drive, and passion for torch run and focus on supporting the athletes has seen our LETR program grow from something small to undoubt-edly the fastest growing torch run program in Australasia. Thank you Mick for your outstanding achievements.

2019 was our biggest year yet and 2020 looks like being bigger again! We’ve got a lot of events planned, all centred around supporting people with intellectual dis-ability through the range of sports and programs offered by Special Olympics Victoria (SOV). As you’ll read in the Treasurer’s Report, our fundraising efforts have for the first time exceeded the $100,000 mark. This allows us to underpin Special Olympics (SO) pro-grams and events here in Victoria as well as support SO clubs with equipment and allied costs. We provided financial support to athletes attending the World Games in Abu Dhabi and the National Winter Games in Thredbo as well as supported the SO Winter Sports Training Camp at Mt Bulla. Once again we provided state medals and ribbons for SOV. Our torch run program has funded scholarships to nine SO athletes who recently graduated from Victoria University with Cert I and II courses in Workplace Education. Courses like this give ath-letes with an intellectual disability a greater chance of securing ongoing employment, something which many of us take for granted and is part of LETR Victoria’s “Whole of Life” vision in providing support to our athletes.

Games in Launceston, Tasmania. We would love you to come along and get involved. Trust me, you’ll get so much from the experience.

I’d like to also thank our major sponsor and partner in BankVic. Apart from financial support BankVic staff, from their CEO Mr Anthony De Fazio through to their office staff, have been magnificent in attending LETR related fundraising events and other activities continually demonstrating their strong support. We love that BankVic’s core values align with ours at the torch run and we thank them for their ongoing support of our program.

While fundraising is a significant portion of what the LETR does, I am particularly proud of what we have achieved in awareness of both the LETR and SO. Our fortnightly recruit lectures at the academy ensure that new police members know who the LETR are, what we do and how we can assist them in dealing with issues as they move through their policing career. They also know that can look to us for assistance should they be seeking support and opportunity for an intellectually disabled family member should they have one. This has also resulted in a broader uptake in support of one off LETR and SO activities and events with new recruits and constables attending events in growing numbers.

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of the LETR Victoria Newsletter. I intend to publish these more often so we can highlight all of the work we are doing in support of the intellectual disability sector. Just as important I want to show how your donations are being used. Our workplace giving program where recruits and other staff con-tribute a few dollars of their pay each fortnight cumulatively raises significant funds which allows us to do so much for our SO athletes. Our aim is to spend 100% of every dollar raised from the workplace giving program on athlete support. This is critical to our success.

We’ve got a range of events planned for the year ahead and would love to see you involved. Our annual Re-gional Engagement & Awareness Tour (REAT) will take place in October through South Western Victoria. It will then lead on to deliver the “Flame of Hope” to the Junior National

LETR Victoria President Matt Volk with LETR Founder Kansas Police Chief
Richard LaMunyon

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The Flame Newsletter – Issue 8 (March 2024). The official newsletter of Torch Run Victoria.

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Aussies shine in Chicago

katherinet February 25, 2024

WAIVER TERMS & CONDITIONS

Background

The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) conducts a wide range of events throughout the year in support of Special Olympics Australia. These events serve both to raise funds and to promote awareness of Special Olympics activities at local, state, and national levels. Examples of such events include, but are not limited to:

Bunnings BBQ fundraisers,
Polar Plunge events,
Torch Run and associated supporting activities,
Sports carnivals,
Club, regional, state, and national sports and games events,
Winter sports programs,
Athlete Leadership Programs,
Family fun days,
Special Olympics program events.

These events are organised by Law Enforcement Torch Run (Victoria) Incorporated in collaboration with Special Olympics Victoria and Special
Olympics Australia.

Participation in these events may involve physical exertion and/or risks inherent in recreational, leisure, or sporting activities. It is important to note that:

Participant Responsibilities:

Event organisers do not possess knowledge of individual participants’ physical abilities or disabilities. Accordingly, they are not reasonably able to assess, nor do they accept responsibility for assessing, the safety of an individual’s participation. Each participant is responsible for determining their own fitness and capacity to engage safely in the event.

On-Duty Status for Victoria Police Employees:

Victoria Police employees may attend LETR events in an “on duty” capacity, but this status must be granted and confirmed in advance. In most cases, securing “on duty” status is the responsibility of the individual participant and must be sought through the appropriate command structure. Event organisers may facilitate this process where explicitly stated.

By participating in LETR events, participants acknowledge these terms and
accept all associated risks inherent in the activities.

Terms & Conditions

By agreeing to enter the Event, the participant:

Agrees that they have been sufficiently advised of the potential risks, dangers and hazards associated with attending the Event.
Agrees that at all such times while attending the Event the participant’s property and person is at their own risk.
Wholly assumes and accepts all liability for the materialisation of any risks, dangers and hazards associated with their actions in attending the Event.
Agrees to participate and voluntarily assume the risk of injury or bodily harm to themselves on attending the Event and participating in any activity at the Event.
Agrees to abide by any lawful instructions given by the employees, agents and volunteers of the Event Organisers, and further agrees to indemnify the Event Organisers and its employees, agents and volunteers, against all liability that may incur, including legal costs, caused or contributed by the participant’s negligence or failure to comply with such instructions.
Agrees to ask for any additional information or explanation about the Event or a particular activity at the Event should they not fully understand the Event, an activity at the Event, or any instructions about participating in an activity at the Event, prior to attending the Event or participating in any activity at the Event.
Acknowledges that the purpose of this document is, to the maximum extent permitted at law, to exclude any liability for personal injury which may be incurred by the Event Organisers or its employees, agents or volunteers, arising out of or in connection with your attendance at the Event or participation in any activities at the Event.
Acknowledges that on occasion, promotional videos or photographs may be used by the Event Organisers which may include your image while attending the Event and consents to this use unless you specifically request the Event Organisers in writing that your image not be used for this purpose.
Accepts with full knowledge that there is a risk of injury and accident associated with attending the Event or participating in activities at the Event, and accepts that they will not have any claim of any nature against the Event Organisers or their employees, agents or volunteers, for any illness, injury or adverse change in medical condition or state of health, arising directly or indirectly from attending the Event, or participating in any activities at the Event.

A Word from the President – March 1st 2020