Law Enforcement and Krispy Kreme Team Up!

Krispy Kreme and the Law Enforcement Torch Run® are teaming up for Cops on Doughnut Shops to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics Oregon and Special Olympics Washington. Officers will take to the roofs of Krispy Kreme retail stores in select locations across the country during the last weekend of April from 6:00 a.m. on Friday, April 29, until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 1.

Cops on Doughnut Shops is taking place at the Beaverton Krispy Kreme at 16415 NW Cornell Road and the Vancouver Krispy Kreme at 8517 NE Andresen Road. The funds are being raised through the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), a program of Special Olympics composed of members of the law enforcement community. The Beaverton store will host officers from Oregon Air National Guard, and the Vancouver Krispy Kreme will host volunteers from the Centralia Police Department.

LETR hopes to raise $5,000 during this year’s event. Customers who donate $5 or more to the cause will get a sweet treat from Krispy Kreme. For generous corporations, organizations, or individuals donating $1,000 or more, these Krispy Kreme participating locations will give a complimentary doughnut party.

Cops on Doughnut Shops is a Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) event in which all proceeds benefit Special Olympics Oregon. LETR is Special Olympics’ largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle. The LETR is present in all 50 U.S. states, Canadian provinces and 46 nations around the world. In 2010, the LETR raised more than $38 million for Special Olympics programs around the world and has raised more than $300 million since its inception in 1981.

For more information about Krispy Kreme, visit www.krispykreme.com.
For more information about the LETR, visit www.torchrunoregon.com.

Come out and join us! Let us know you’ll be there at www.Facebook.com/SOORstate

Youth Rally Empowers Oregonians To Help Spread the Word

Over 500 students from 42 different schools (24 High schools, 14 middle schools and 4 elementary schools) attend this year’s rally. Our goal was to introduce them to Project Unify activities that they could take back to their schools and duplicate and we have already had several students and teachers email us activities that they plan to offer this school year; these are schools who have previously not been involved in any Project Unify or Special Olympics activities.

Highlights from the Rally include:

• Videos produced by high school students (Bend HS and Lake Oswego HS) about their PU activities

• Amelia Abel -Special Olympics athlete who encouraged students to hold school assemblies, share lunch with a student with intellectual disabilities, include students with intellectual disabilities on school committees and take time to get to know students with intellectual disabilities)

• LazD , local Rap artist who has Down Syndrome. He spoke of his new CD and his support for the Spread the Word campaign.

• Jay Dunn spoke of the difference between his life experience and his twin brother Todd. (Todd has Down Syndrome and Jay does not).

• Hannah Kasal, former Sutherlin HS student spoke of how her involvement in PU led her to Western Oregon to pursue a career in Special Education. She also shared how she and Dony Knight (Sutherlin HS SO athlete) have become best of friends through unified sports and other PU activities.

• Students participating in many of the 13 activity booths. These were all PU-related activities that you can replicate at your school as part of an assembly or school rally (poster-making, button-making, tattoos, making a “rally in a box” to share with others, r-word awareness booths etc.)

Check out all the photos and comments from the rally on our Facebook Fan Page and learn how you can get involved with Project Unify.