Judy Macho named winner of Unsung Hero Award

Judy Macho, a Reedsport police officer, has been selected to receive the Ken Davis Unsung Hero Award at Special Olympics Oregon State Summer Games. The award is given annually to a member of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) who exemplifies the standard set by the late Ken Davis for community service and dedication to the mission of Special Olympics. LETR is a program of Special Olympics run by volunteers who are members of law enforcement agencies.
Macho has been immersed in Special Olympics activities for more than two decades. She was recruited to participate in LETR by former Reedsport Police Chief John Smart (now retired) and has increased her LETR involvement ever since.
“Chief Smart decided the department should take an active role in the Torch Run, and he convinced me to join him. I just kept being involved over the years, and my responsibilities grew,” Macho says.
Macho took her dedication to LETR and Special Olympics to a new level last year when she agreed to serve as the Local Program Coordinator (LPC) of the then-struggling South Coast Special Olympics program. Working closely with Janet Capetty, senior vice president, field services, Macho put together a local program team that revived the South Coast program’s activities. Under her management, the program has held several fundraisers while attracting more athletes and volunteers. Capetty has hailed the revival of the South Coast local program as one of the great success stories of the past year for Special Olympics Oregon.
Macho is the communications records supervisor for the Reedsport Police Department and serves as administrative assistant to current Police Chief Shawn Essex. She will receive the Unsung Hero award at Opening Ceremonies for State Summer Games on June 27.
“Judy’s dedication to the mission of Special Olympics goes way over and above what you would expect from any volunteer, especially when you consider that she has also taken on the local program coordinator’s position,” said Allison Ellermeier, LETR director. “She represents the very best in LETR.”
LETR represents a long-standing tradition within the Special Olympics family. The group’s most visible event is the week-long Flame of Hope relay. During the last week of June, hundreds of officers from across Oregon participate in a relay that brings the Special Olympics Flame of Hope to Hillsboro Stadium. There, the Torch ignites the Special Olympics Oregon Cauldron that signifies the official beginning of Summer State Games. This year, State Summer Games begin with Opening Ceremonies on June 27; the competitions themselves take place on June 28 and June 29 in and around Hillsboro.