Law Enforcement Torch Run Awards
The Max Everton Hall of Fame and Kenny Fields Memorial Unsung Hero Awards honor outstanding individuals who have significantly contributed to the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Virginia. We also believe that great leadership begins early and we want to recognize those who have been spreading the word in their younger years. Introducing, the Torch Run Youth Award - honoring the best of up-and-coming game changers.
Unsung Heroes 2023
Lt. Amanda Thompson
Lt. Thompson has been active with the Torch Run and Special Olympics for over ten years and has proven that no task is too large or too small, participating in polar plunges, torch runs, and cover-the-cruisers, to name a few. She is always looking for new ways to raise funds but she also volunteers for the Prince William area programs. Amanda is a key player in the success of her department’s “Kickin’ Bass” tournament and when she was transferred from the community service section and moved back to courts, she stayed involved with the bass tournament to help keep it going because…well, that’s just how she rolls. When her daughter participated in the Young Athletes program in Richmond at Summer Games, she was her daughter’s buddy! To top it all off, she was so excited to sign up for the torch run last year, she quickly realized she would be out of town for her department’s run and so she recruited a friend and ran the route a week early so she could still support our athletes!
Sarah Baker
Officer Baker has been active with the Torch Run and Special Olympics for over ten years on both a local and state level. From volunteering at Plane Pull and Polar Plunge events to participating in the Torch Run Final Leg and Summer Games, she is a leader for her department, who models the way for all employees to become engaged with Torch Run and Special Olympics. For the last five years, she has been her region’s representative, heading up dozens of sites and events, and will say “yes,” no matter what the ask…offering up assistance to anyone and any agency, not just her own. She continuously engages with athletes, raises the bar in recruiting volunteers, and creates events with her district office, such as the Chili Cook-off and Silent Auction, just to name a few. She even spearheaded a team for the Prince William County Plunge, to ensure her department had a team at every plunge in 2023, and truly holds a level of dedication to celebrate.
Sgt. Joey Lewis
Sgt. Lewis has been very active with the Torch Run and Special Olympics on the local, state and international level for over eight years. From the Polar Plunge to logistics he is always involved in anything and everything, always eager to help with anything that comes up. With enthusiasm and energy that is contagious, he is quickly emerging as a future leader and champion in his local Law Enforcement Torch Run events and activities, making his region’s torch run stronger than before. This past November, Sgt. Lewis had the honor of representing Virginia in the miner’s lamp escort, carrying out this task with pride and dedication. He even took on the challenge of running in a tutu, if a certain dollar amount was raised. It was, and he did! Knowing no stranger, and possessing a personality that fits right in at any event, always making him the social butterfly anywhere he goes, Sgt. Lewis is spreading the word and changing lives.
Hall of Fame 2023
Sgt. Adam Bernstein
Sgt. Bernstein has been active in Special Olympics and Torch Run events on a state and international level for over 20 years. He is an exceptional leader, exemplifying the qualities and values of Special Olympics and Torch Run. From selling shirts, hats, and motorcycle raffle tickets, to participating in Polar Plunge and Cover-the-Cruiser events, to organizing numerous Tip-a-Cop events, attending numerous state and international conferences, to presenting medals to athletes … this inductee has done it all. You can see the passion for the athletes of Special Olympics Virginia at every event he attends. When it comes to any mission, program, fundraiser, torch lighting, medal presentation or anything else needed, he is always his department’s “go-to guy.” He has been the Torch Run program coordinator for his department for well over 15 years, and also serves as team captain for their Polar Plunge team. He annually coordinates the arrival of the torch at both Little Feet & Big Feet Meets, as well as the torch lighting ceremony at the opening of Fall Championships, soliciting volunteers from his and neighboring departments to have uniformed officers participate in the Opening Ceremony.
Deputy Scott Young (Ret.)
Deputy Young has been active in Special Olympics and Torch Run events on a local, state, and international level for over 20 years. Over the years, he has recruited too many volunteers to count, just by organizing many fundraisers and spreading the word about inclusion. Deputy Young has never, and will never, take any credit for anything he does for the Torch Run and Special Olympics… number one, because that’s just how he is, and two, he is extremely humble and loves what he does to support a great cause. Throughout his years of active involvement, in addition to participating in Polar Plunge, Final Leg Runs, and Summer Games, he has organized and successfully implemented numerous events, such as Cover the Cruisers, local Legs of the Torch Run, Poker Runs, the Polar Bear Ride, and of course, the Strongman Competition. He also traveled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to show his dedication by running in the Torch Run Final Leg of the World Games.
Youth Award 2023
Adam Carroll
As the first recipient of the 2023 Torch Run Youth Award, Adam has been active in Special Olympics and Torch Run events since he was just knee high. He has participated in numerous Polar Plunges, volunteered at Plane Pull events, ran in the Final Leg in Richmond, and volunteered at swimming at Summer Games…and that was just the beginning. Now that Adam is older, he is able to assist with organizing and task-handling at Virginia Beach for Polar Plunge, becoming an assistant to our event team. Being involved with Special Olympics and Torch Run has really helped shape him into the amazing young man he is and his compassion for all people is heartwarming, and his kind heart and genuine personality make him an valuable asset. The fact that he has grown up around people with intellectual disabilities has made him a patient, kind and caring human being, which is quite evident when he interacts with his soon-to-be stepsister, who has a disability. He is always wanting to help make her life better. An absolute outstanding individual, he is truly following in his family’s footsteps, and we all cannot wait to see what the future holds for him.