Police Officer and School Teacher form Dynamic Duo for Special Olympics New York
Hudson Valley couple Sarah and Joe Raco collaborate to create opportunities for the region’s athletes
By Randy Robertson, Hudson Valley Regional Storyteller
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – She’s a police officer for the Town of Poughkeepsie, working to keep the streets safe. He’s a teacher in the Red Hook School District, educating the minds of teenagers.
Individually they are making a difference in their communities.
Collectively, the married couple of Sarah and Joe Raco provides incredible impact across the Hudson Valley through their jobs and their ever-growing roles in support of Special Olympics New York.
“It’s a great organization to be a part of,” Sarah Raco said. “The community aspect brings everyone together. I’ve enjoyed the torch runs and the polar plunge for years and it’s just a really good time.”
Sarah Raco graduated from the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Academy in mid-2019 and joined the Town of Poughkeepsie police force. She began participating in Law Enforcement Torch Runs (LETRs) in 2016 and more recently started plunging into the icy waters each winter to raise funds for the athletes of Special Olympics New York.
Not satisfied to stop there, Sarah has taken on additional duties this year. She now oversees all four annual Hudson Valley polar plunges, and in early November she will attend the International LETR Conference in Michigan for the first time.
“I enjoy running with all of the law enforcement and the police escort down the road,” Sarah said. “It’s pretty special carrying the flags, the torch, and in this area doing the Walkway Over the Hudson portion. I’m looking forward to going to Michigan and meeting everybody and learning more about the history of the torch run.”
Sarah will be in good company as a contingent of 19 active and retired law enforcement officers from across New York state are expected to attend the Michigan conference. Like Sarah, nine other attendees from New York will be first timers at the conference.
While Sarah travels to expand her expertise, husband Joe Raco stays closer to home to continue building the unified sports program at Red Hook High School. Raco said the unified basketball program started several years ago with just 8 or 9 kids, but now dozens are playing together. There are unified bowling and bocce teams too, and even the middle school started a unified physical education program.
Raco said he loves basketball, and he’s seen a lot of success as the Red Hook assistant varsity basketball girls coach over the years. His enthusiasm for the athletes and partners in the unified sports programs may be just as intense as a full-court press from his girls’ basketball teams.
“I really enjoy the community engagement that we have, Red Hook has been amazing,” Raco said. “I enjoy the practices and games but also the hallways at school too. To see the kids in the hallways get psyched up, even though we don’t start unified basketball until March. The kids already are asking me when practices start, it’s really exciting to see that.”
Raco noted that the lacrosse and other Red Hook sports teams often attend the unified basketball games. Those students cheer on their classmates and participate in the halftime festivities that usually involve hula hoops and dancing to keep everyone entertained.
Whether dancing with hula hoops or jumping through hoops to advance their careers and to support their community, this dynamic duo seemingly does it all for Special Olympics New York. But there’s still at least one more box to check.
“I haven’t actually done the polar plunge yet,” Joe Raco admitted recently as Sarah sat by his side grinning. “I’ve always been the guy to pass out the towels. Now that Sarah’s running the plunges I might have to finally get up there and jump too.”
SHARE THIS: