BURLINGTON — Burlington Police Officer and Monroe native Bryan Wangnoss, is a self-proclaimed “behind the scenes and let’s-get-it-done-type of guy.”

The Wisconsin State Assembly agrees, and recognized him for his dedication to his community as a police officer and his contributions to Special Olympics. In November, on behalf of the Wisconsin State Assembly, Speaker Robin Vos presented Wangnoss with the Hometown Hero award, which is the Assembly’s highest civilian honor.

He is the son of Monroe residents David and Alice Wangnoss and has been a police officer for nearly 22 years. 

“Officer Wangnoss is a great example of how one person can make a big difference in the world,” said Speaker Vos. “Officer Wangnoss should be commended for his work in raising awareness and funds for the Special Olympics.”

Wangnoss is involved with the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

“Primarily the Law Enforcement Torch Run has two functions,” said Wangnoss. “The first is to raise funds for Special Olympics. Last year, the Law Enforcement Torch Run raised more than $56 million world-wide.” 

The group that Wangnoss raises money with has raised around $180,000. 

“Secondly, the Law Enforcement Torch Run is for raising awareness for those with intellectual disabilities and we do this through having athletes from Special Olympics at almost everything we do so that everyone can interact and see they are not disabled but our athletes are differently abled,” he said.

The Torch Run has grown over the years and now includes many fundraising platforms. These platforms include: Plane Pulls, Polar Plunges, Tip-A-Cops and more. Since the beginning, the Law Enforcement Torch Run has raised more than $600 million for Special Olympics programs.

“What also impresses me about the Law Enforcement Torch Run is it’s a we movement not a me movement,” added Wangnoss. “This is proven by the world-wide reach of the Law Enforcement Torch Run.”

Special Olympics is a program that reaffirms beliefs that persons with intellectual disabilities, by their involvement in Special Olympics, show the community at large there are no limits to human potential or the human spirit.

There are more than 97,000 law enforcement members who carry the Flame of Hope annually, which symbolizes courage and celebration of diversity uniting communities around the globe.

In March, Wangnoss represented Wisconsin at the 2019 Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi as part of the Final Leg Team, which consists of law enforcement officers and Special Olympic athletes from around the world.

“This was truly a once in a lifetime trip for me,” said Wan-gnoss. “We did what Law Enforcement Torch Run is supposed to do and we helped raise awareness for our cause in a foreign country and also raised money in the process.”

Wangnoss added that the highlight of the trip was being able to attend the opening ceremonies and take part in those ceremonies on a world stage.

“We met athletes’ from all around the world,” added Wangnoss. “We met U.S. athletes, but we also met athletes from Germany, Jordan, Rwanda, Ireland and many other countries. It was awesome to see the athlete’s joy at being able to compete on this world stage.”

Growing up, Wangnoss attended school in Monroe and graduated from Monroe High School. He attended the University of Tennessee and then gradated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

He was involved in Boy Scouts at a young age because his father was an assistant Scoutmaster and eventually Scoutmaster. In the early 1970s, Wangnoss worked at and attended Canyon Camp for many years. In 1984, he became an Eagle Scout.

Wangnoss’ involvement in Special Olympics started when his niece Hayley became an athlete in the early 2000s, but his awareness of Special Olympics started earlier.

“I had two friends with brothers who had intellectual disabilities,” said Wangnoss. “I remember the brothers attending the games in high school and I also had friends involved in Campions Champions, which had an impact on me.”

As far as his desire to become a police officer, Wangnoss said that were several influences.

“First was Mike Hutchinson who was a Monroe police officer,” said Wangnoss. “He showed me that one can be both a personable person and police officer at the same time. The second is my uncle Walt Bandi who also was a Monroe police officer.”

Wangnoss plans to stay active with the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics even after he retires, he hopes in about three years.

“We can always use police officers to come to competitions and hand out awards,” added Wangnoss. “I challenge area officers to get involved. You won’t regret it.”