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Benton officer more involved than ever in Special Olympics |
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Wednesday, 12 December 2007 |
 Benton police Sgt. Kevin Russell stands with Special Olympics athlete Lindsay Smith of Florida, one of 20 global messengers who travel to help spread the word about Special Olympics. Russell met Smith at the 2007 Law Enforcement Torch Run International Conference in Oklahoma City, where he learned ways to get more people involved in Special Olympics events. (Photo special to the Courier)
Sgt. Kevin Russell was invited recently to attend the 2007 Law Enforcement Torch Run Inter-national Conference in Okla-homa City.
Russell said he was invited to the event by Shelly Yielding of Special Olympics Arkansas following a successful fundraiser for the organization.
Russell organized Tip-a-Cop in the spring to raise money for Special Olympics. It was held at Colton’s Steakhouse in Benton and involved police officers serving food for tips.
About $3,400 was raised from the Tip-a-Cop event.
The international conference gave Russell “a way to interact with other law agencies,” he said.
“The main thing is we learned how to raise awareness and get more people involved. I got a lot of ideas of how to get more involved.”
Russell said he hopes to raise about $5,000 at next year’s Tip-a-Cop event. The date has yet to be determined.
Russell said what he enjoyed most about the conference was meeting actual athletes. “We were introduced to dozens of Special Olympics athletes and their families. It showed the impact we have on them.”
Russell noted law enforcement is a large force behind fundraisers for Special Olympics. “We raised over $30 million nationwide last year,” he said.
From his time volunteering for Special Olympics, Russell said, “The whole experience has been eye-opening, from Tip-a-Cop to the games and seeing and meeting the athletes.”
He added, “They hate the ‘R’ word and prefer ‘learning disabilities.’”
Russell has been with the Benton Police Department for about eight and a half years. “The department has always supported the Torch Run, but never been involved in this,” he said, referring to the conference.
And Russell’s ready to do more. “Here we are,” he said.
Law officers have a “long-standing tradition of wanting to help people,” Russell said. “It’s ingrained in us.”
Helping with Special Olympics causes is addictive, he said. “The biggest challenge is making people aware of it, but once you’ve seen it in person and get in touch with the athletes, you’re hooked.”
Russell will spend the coming months planning for ways to inform the public on Special Olympics activities. He said he’s open to ideas and may be reached at the police department at 776-5948.
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