Kennesaw Police Officer to Represent State in Special Olympics Torch Run

A Guardian of the Flame

Officer Scott Luther of the will be spending the next month getting physically and mentally prepared for what he calls "the biggest honor" he's ever received.

In June, Luther will represent the entire state of Georgia as he participates in the final leg of the torch run leading up to the opening ceremonies of the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.

As a guardian of the flame, Luther, along with other chosen law enforcement officials and athletes on his running team, will spread awareness about the Special Olympics in more than 64 cities over the course of 13 days. The route will take the group through Western Greece as far as the Tristate border, to the Ionian Islands and Peloponnese, passing through Ancient Olympia, the birth place of the Olympic Games. 

The Special Olympics celebrates special needs athletes and is held at the local, state and national levels, culminating with the world games every two years. This year's Summer Games will take place from June 25 to July 4 with over 7,500 athletes competing from 185 nations around the world.

“The flame of hope – it signifies the start of the games, of course, but also the hard work and determination that these athletes have put in," said Luther, who learned he was chosen to represent the state in the Law Enforcement Torch Run in February.

Besides being an actual running event, the torch run is also a worldwide movement in which law enforcement officials spend the year raising awareness and money for the Special Olympics through a variety of fundraising efforts.

Luther said he never expected to be chosen for the honor.

"I am a guardian of the flame," he said, "and taking it to another country and spreading the message is just incredible."

A Community Officer

Officer Luther has served on the Kennesaw Police Department for the past 12 years and is as homegrown as they come. He was born in Kennesaw and attended , then and graduated from in 1989.

He said he was inspired to become a police officer through the stories told by his grandfather, who once served as Police Chief in Villa Rica.

Luther said his mother was a school bus driver for special education students. Growing up, he would sometimes ride the bus with his mom and the kids.

But it wasn't until his first real experience with the Special Olympics seven years ago that his early involvement with the special needs community would grow into a greater passion.

Luther said it was Kennesaw Police Chief Bill Westenberger who first sent him to attend a luncheon about the torch run and its mission.

“When I came back, I actually just pushed everything to the side, and this is now my focus," said Luther, who has been actively involved with the Special Olympics for the past several years. In 2010, his efforts earned him a place in the Georgia Torch Run Hall of Fame.

"These athletes, they play very hard, they train very hard and they play to win. But if they don’t win, they want to be brave at their attempt," said Luther.

He said at the events, the athletes often ask police officers for their autographs: "We learned very quickly that we needed to take a Sharpie pen with us."

But Luther said he felt something was wrong with that picture. After all, "These right here are true athletes. But they play just as hard, if not harder, than some of the ones in the professional sports."

In turn, he asked the athletes for their autographs: "They thought this was the greatest thing in the world." That particular memory still gives him chills, he said.

"I didn’t get into this job thinking I’m going to be this community officer," said Luther, noting that many new police officers start the job wanting to "give back to the community" by enforcing the law.

Few realize that in the daily life of a police officer, "giving back" entails a lot more, he said.

Luther said he enjoys visiting the local schools in the area and that he knows many of the teachers and students by name.

“Anytime we go to the schools for any kind of details, the stress goes away," he said. "They really balance out this job.”

Final Preparations

As the event nears, Luther is preparing himself mentally and physically, while continuing fundraising efforts for the cause. The Kennesaw Police Department recently participated in a "Cops on Doughnut Shops" fundraising event, although Luther said he only indulged in a few of the sweets over the weekend.

Physically, he's been watching his diet, staying on top of his vitamins and running daily in preparation for the torch run. Since February, he's lost about 20 pounds. It's the first time he's been under 200 pounds in years, he said.

Friday, May 20, Luther and other members of the Kennesaw Police Department will participate in the opening ceremonies of Special Olympics Georgia at Emory University. The department will also hold a fundraising event on June 16 as officers work as servers at .

While Luther has had the support of his family, friends and fellow officers, he'll be making the actual journey to Greece alone. He said he's excited for the opportunity to experience a new country, although being separated from his two kids will probably be the hardest part.

"But ultimately, we’re out raising money for the Special Olympics. And that’s the biggest payoff for me."

“The biggest thing is I want to represent the city, the state in a positive manner," he said. "I want to do it for the athletes."

You can follow Officer Scott Luther at www.facebook.com/kpdfinalleg2011 and www.Twitter.com/KPDFinalLeg2011. You can also donate to the Torch Run at www.firstgiving.com/scottluther.