Deputy Lori Casper of the Dane County Sheriff’s Office has been involved with the Law Enforcement Torch Run^® (LETR) for 10 years, but her extensive involvement with Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) doesn’t begin or end there. Casper has volunteered as a coach for basketball, bowling, track and field, basketball skills and bocce for the Oregon Special Olympics agency during that time, in addition to her greatest role, mother of Special Olympics athlete Jake Casper.

"There would not be nearly as many officers and deputies at our local events without Deputy Casper," says John Weichelt, South Central Regional Director of Development for Special Olympics Wisconsin. In addition to her roles as parent and coach, she also helps recruit and organize events including Hometown Games, Polar Plunge^® and Tip-A-Cop^®.

According to Weichelt, "The word ‘no’ is not in Casper’s vocabulary. Every time she is asked to do something, she is there doing what needs to be done."

Even with a lot on her plate, Deputy Casper manages to keep up with both the sports side and the LETR side of Special Olympics Wisconsin. "At any given time you might see her chaperoning athletes, dressed in the chicken suit at the Plunge, coaching athletes, keeping committee members in line, organizing volunteers, selling t-shirts and prepping the torch for the Final Leg runs… and she always does it with a smile," says Weichelt.

Both locally and statewide, Deputy Casper’s efforts have continued to raise awareness for SOWI and further the mission of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Thank you Deputy Casper!