By: Lacey Korevec
Special Olympics New Jersey is an important cause for the Cranbury Police Department, but for one officer, his desire to raise awareness and money for the program is personal.
The cause hits home for Patrol Officer Matthew Schneider, whose younger sister, Marie, is a Special Olympics athlete. Though she’s classified with a number of mental disabilities, Officer Schneider said, his sister’s life has been changed by the accomplishments she’s made through her participation in the Special Olympics.
"We’ve all seen my sister, like all the other athletes, overcome such adversity and one of the reasons that they’ve been able to do that is the Special Olympics," he said. "It just helps them out. It’s big for them just as the regular Olympics would be. It’s an accomplishment that just helps them grow individually as a person. And it’s just great to see those athletes grow and how it helps them get through day-to-day activities."
On June 1, three Cranbury police officers will arrive at the Cranbury Station restaurant at 7:15 on their morning off to run the Special Olympics torch down Route 130 and through town.
They’ll head down Route 130 to North Main Street, where they’ll turn left onto Plainsboro Road. Then they’ll make a quick left onto Maplewood Avenue and then a right onto Half Acre Road to transfer the torch to New Jersey State Police at Half Acre Road on Route 130.
The run is nearly two miles and the torch is heavy, but it feels like nothing to the officers. That’s because they know they’re helping a great cause, said Officer Schneider, who is in charge of the department’s torch run and other Special Olympics events.
Special Olympics New Jersey is a nonprofit organization that provides free sports training in 23 sports and 140 competitions to over 15,000 New Jersey residents with disabilities. The Law Enforcement Torch Run began in 1984 when 40 officers in eight counties ran 43 miles and raised $7,000 for Special Olympics New Jersey. By 2006, the torch run had spread to every county in the state.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run serves as a fundraiser for the program, raising awareness and encouraging community members to donate to the cause, Officer Schneider said.
"All the athletes in Special Olympics, no matter how great their proficiency in their event, they’re overcoming such adversity in their life and it’s really just like the regular Olympics," he said. "It’s just inspirational to people. It’s really a great cause all around and it’s great for New Jersey.
Officer Schneider said New Jersey has a reputation for being one of the biggest supporters of the Special Olympics, raising more money each year for the cause than any other state.
"New Jersey, such a small state, has lead the world in the last five years with the fundraising for Special Olympics," he said. "The whole world looks to us when it comes to Special Olympics and that’s one of the reasons why I’m trying to get the word out."
The Cranbury Police Department participates in other annual events to raise awareness and money for Special Olympics New Jersey, but the torch run is the biggest event and brings in the most donations, Officer Schneider said. He said he’s appreciative of the other officers who participate in the run, the residents who donate and the press for getting the word out.
"We don’t get anything out of it but the satisfaction that we know we’re helping out the Special Olympics," he said. "It’s just personal pride that we’re helping a good cause and I guess that comes down to the reason for being a police officer, you know? You’re just trying to help people out and the Special Olympics is just another way of doing that."
For more information about the torch run or to make a donation, contact Officer Schneider by calling Cranbury Police Department at (609) 395-0031. To leave a voice mail, call (609) 395-7209.
To learn more about Special Olympics New Jersey, visit www.SONJ.org or call (609) 896-8000.

