Shari Kaczmarski and Chris Tarmann awarded prestigious Special Olympics Wisconsin service honor
Dane County Deputy Shari Kaczmarski and Acting Chief of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Police Department Chris Tarmann were named 2023 recipients of the Dale Brunner Hall of Fame Award, a prestigious service honor granted to law enforcement members supporting Special Olympics Wisconsin.
The Dale Brunner Hall of Fame Award is bestowed upon those individuals who have gone above and beyond the normal call of duty in their efforts to enhance the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) in its support of the mission of Special Olympics Wisconsin. This year’s inductees were honored this June at the Opening Ceremony of Special Olympics Wisconsin’s Summer Games on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and further recognized at a LETR reception later in the evening.
“We are honored to be here this evening, surrounded by our athletes, to honor the legacy of Dale Brunner by inducting new members into the Law Enforcement Torch Run Dale Brunner Hall of Fame,” LETR for Special Olympics Wisconsin State Director Lori Casper said to the attending crowd of nearly 1,200 athletes. “Dale took great pride in the fact that a Hall of Fame was created in his name. More importantly, however, Dale took great pride in the fact that the Hall of Fame is a way to celebrate and recognize the efforts of people who share his passion about helping and accepting people with intellectual disabilities.”
“This year we had two amazing law enforcement volunteers who were selected to the Hall of Fame—each of these individuals is changing the future for people with intellectual disabilities and lighting the way for acceptance and inclusion,” Kate Brunner said. “Tonight we are here to thank you for your dedication and to celebrate your commitment to this movement.”
After being “roped into” the LETR volunteer circle 13 years ago, Kaczmarski has been an avid advocate ever since. She represented Wisconsin at the 2017 LETR International Conference in Nashville, Tenn., and has been active in nearly every local event since her debut. Apart from serving on the Region 6 LETR committee, Kaczmarski has been instrumental in coordinating fundraising events like Final Legs, Dunkin’ Cop on a Rooftop, various Tip a Cop events, and the Madison-area Polar Plunge as committee chair and participant. She also supported several sporting events including Unified bowling in Madison, Regional track and basketball competitions, and annual state-level Summer Games.
Kaczmarski is known to do whatever it takes to make an event happen—and certainly not by coercion. She is wholeheartedly in it for the success of the athletes and their smiling faces, high fives, and hugs.
Tarmann has worked alongside Special Olympics Wisconsin for 11 years as both an advocate and volunteer. Representing LETR for Special Olympics Wisconsin at the 2022 USA Games, he carried the Flame of Hope with athletes from across North America as part of the LETR Final Leg tour of southern Florida. Just this past spring, Tarmann organized the first ever cauldron-lighting ceremony at Spring Games in Oshkosh following a very successful Oshkosh-based Run with the Cops the previous October. He has attended several International LETR Conferences—including the most recent convention in Round Rock, Texas—and is actively pursuing new and improved ways to get more LETR involvement across the state.
As one of the most respected LETR officers across the state, his compassion for the athletes is what stands out the most.
“Inducting people with such passion into the Dale Brunner Hall of Fame is a great way to celebrate their hard work and dedication,” Kelly Brunner Swartz said. “We also know that those who deserve to be recognized in such an honorable way don’t do what they do for the recognition. They will continue to passionately raise awareness about the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities and raise money for the athletes of Special Olympics Wisconsin.”
About the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Torch Run Dale Brunner Hall of Fame Award
In 1999, Special Olympics Wisconsin created the Law Enforcement Torch Run Dale Brunner Hall of Fame award, named after Wisconsin’s first LETR Director who passed away on August 12, 2014 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Dale was instrumental in starting the LETR in Wisconsin and served as the Director from 1986 through 1999. The award was created to recognize Wisconsin’s outstanding individuals who have significantly contributed to the statewide success of the LETR. It is an honor bestowed upon those participants who have gone above and beyond the normal call of duty in their efforts to enhance the LETR in its support of the mission of Special Olympics Wisconsin.
