The senior Mr Paroli, who now lives in California, said he jumped at the chance to walk with his nephew, who is a detective sergeant with the Levin police.
"Seeing home like this ..." he says with beaming eyes.
Along the way they were well received.
"We see it in the eyes of the people we come across that they'd like to see their own country like this," said Luigi Paroli.
Luigi Paroli and brother Beni were the first New Zealanders in 1981 to walk the 3470km Appalachian Trail in the United States.
And in 1985, he walked 4180km from Mexico to Canada.
The New Zealand LETR branch joins more than 90,000 police professionals and supporters across 35 countries who organise a series of relay and fundraising events held ahead of Special Olympics sports competitions.
They are similar in style to the Olympic torch relay.
More than US$42 million ($50 million) was raised in 2011 internationally.
The LETR here has been run from within Special Olympics New Zealand.
As a standalone charity, the Law Enforcement Torch Run New Zealand Charitable Trust will organise a series of events throughout the country to raise awareness of people with intellectual disabilities and to fundraise for Special Olympics New Zealand.
Sarn Paroli is one of the trustees on the trust.