Constable Fred Brown won the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce Award for City Police Officer of the Year.
Const. Brown was one of five officers from four police services recognized with awards this afternoon.
To see profiles of the other winners, click on these links:
Albert Williams wins third award Snowmobile-case cops honoured ALS Walkathon volunteer lauded
Here's the text of Sault Ste. Marie police chief Robert Davies' remarks about the award:
************************************************************************* Constable Fred Brown was hired by the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service on August 29, 1994.
He moved to Sault Ste. Marie from Sudbury and brought with him his wife Yvette and two daughters, Natalie and Crystal. Upon his arrival, he was first assigned to General Patrol duties. He was assigned to the Emergency Services Unit in 1998 where he is known for his cat-like abilities in scaling tall buildings.
Chaired Special Olympics In the summer of 2000, he was given the task of chairing the 2001 Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games. Over 650 athletes, 140 coaches, and 12 team managers attended in Sault Ste. Marie in August 2-5, 2001.
They participated in soccer, softball, and track and field events. These provincial summer games served as a qualifying competition for those athletes who will go onto compete in the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan this year.
For over one year, Fred presided over an organizing committee of 42 members. They looked after arranging everything from the housing, medical, and security needs, transportation, and feeding of all the participants.
Goat's milk, to go
No detail was too big or too small for Fred's dedicated band of warriors, including scouring the City at the break of dawn to look for goat's milk for one of the athletes for breakfast that very morning, or, searching for a supposed "lost athlete" one night who, rather than go for supper with everyone else on a very very warm summer night, decided to stay behind and enjoy the comforts of the Water Tower Inn's pool!
The 2001 Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games was one of the largest events hosted by the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and Police Association in recent years. From the fabulous opening ceremonies where Fred's fellow members of the Emergency Services Unit rappelled from the ceiling of the Memorial Gardens to the final closing ceremonies, it was an amazing and heartwanning event.
Fred is just one example of the many members who gave of their personal time and expended much effort to make these games a success. Mr. Ron Francis, Captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, was the Honourary Games Chair and Mr. Ted Nolan was the Honourary Games Coach during the games.
Many businesses generously donated their services and supplies to assist.
As well, many many members of the community turned out at the events to cheer on the athletes. Sault Ste. Marie was truly well represented.
Sense of humour
Fred's sense of humour was often tested during the planning stages but he rose admirably to the occasion each and every time.
His deep sense of community involvement was readily evident as well as his love for Special Olympics and the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Torch Run
Since the inaugural Torch Run in 1987, over $15 million has been donated to Ontario Special Olympics or raised for provincial games by 7,000 law enforcement personnel in the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run of which Fred was coordinator of in our area over the last few years.
Fred has been a loyal and dedicated police officer for over eight years who has shown in 2001 that he has the drive and ambition to take on difficult challenges successfully to meet the goals of our Police Service.
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