At its annual Night of Champions, Special Olympics New Jersey honors and celebrates outstanding individuals and groups.
In the year leading up to the big event, award candidates are identified and nominated by their peers. These nominations are reviewed by a committee, and finally the award recipients are revealed. Awards categories include 13 outstanding county athletes, several volunteers, spirit awards, Special Olympics New Jersey Hall of Fame, Law Enforcement Torch Run Hall of Fame, and a Lifetime Achievement award.
Glenn Toepert is the 2024 Law Enforcement Torch Run Hall of Fame inductee. This Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a superior contribution to the Law Enforcement Toch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey. The award was presented by Kevin Burke, Director of Law Enforcement Torch Run.
“Glenn Toepert spent over 25 years with the Saddle Brook Police Department, retiring in 2013 as a Captain. His journey with Special Olympics New Jersey and the Law Enforcement Torch Run began in 1988, just three weeks after graduating from the Bergen County Police Academy. He was asked to run in the Annual Torch Run in the neighboring town of Rochelle Park.
A year later, he became engaged to his wife Barbra, a special education teacher, and he would do presentations for her students and together they worked several SONJ county track meets awarding medals. In 1994, their son Michael was born, and 8 years later in 2002, Special Olympics New Jersey became an integral part of their lives when Michael was diagnosed with a developmental disability later determined to be autism and started in SONJ activities.
Glenn’s commitment to the Torch Run grew, and in 2007, after raising funds locally, he was asked to join the LETR State Committee. Beyond his volunteerism, he coaches and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Bergen Wildcats. In 2013-14, he also served as the Area Director, now known as County Coordinator, for Area 12 and the Northeast Region.
Over the past 17 years, Glenn has been involved in most LETR events, often behind the lens of a camera. He started and continues to maintain the NJ LETR Flickr online photo gallery, which boasts nearly 120,000 photos from various events since 2007. His photography has been recognized by the International Chief’s of Police Association, winning eight awards in their annual International Law Enforcement Torch Run photo contest. Additionally, he manages the NJ LETR Facebook and Instagram pages.
He has served on the committee for the Police Motorcycle Skills Competition and currently serves on the Snow Bowl committee. He also assists with the LETR and Special Olympics Athlete Honor Guard, of which his son Michael is a member. In 2021, during the pandemic, he created a public service announcement video to promote the Virtual Polar Bear Plunge at Seaside Heights that year. This video, featuring him and Michael, was a key part of that year’s campaign. He continues to participate in the plunge annually, ranking among the top 50 fundraising individual plungers.
The New Jersey LETR and SONJ are a family affair and intertwined in the Toepert’s daily lives. His wife Barbra is also a coach and board trustee for the Wildcats, and their youngest son Joseph has volunteered over the years. Their son Michael, a SONJ athlete for 22 years, won a Gold Medal at the 2014 USA Games in volleyball. As a parent of a SONJ athlete, a former area director, a coach of an SONJ local training program, and a member of the LETR State Committee, he has a unique and comprehensive perspective on Special Olympics and its significance to everyone involved.”