Law Enforcement Carries the Torch for Special Olympics

As Thursday’s temperatures soared into the 90s, hundreds of law enforcement officers, Special Olympics Connecticut athletes, and volunteers took to the streets of north central Connecticut as part of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest grassroots fundraiser and for Special Olympics Connecticut. Organizers hope to raise $550,000 this year.

Laura Gremelsbacker, spokesperson for Special Olympics Connecticut, said, “You can feel the energy and excitement as we raise awareness across the state and head into the biggest weekend of the year.”

Thursday marked Day 2 of the three day run, as the “Flame of Hope” passes through 100 Connecticut towns en route to its ultimate destination at Southern Connecticut State University where the 42nd Annual Special Olympics Summer Games will kick off with an opening ceremony at 7 tonight (Friday, June 10).

The games include track and field, cycling, gymnastics, soccer, tennis, and other sports.

On Wednesday, Day 1 of the Law Enforcement Torch run ended with a rally in Ledyard. On Thursday, five separate legs proceeded through Connecticut, including two in north central Connecticut, all converging at the State Capitol Building in Hartford at 5 p.m. for the Day 2 Rally. The rally was dedicated to TFC Kenneth Hall, a 22-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police who was killed in the line of duty in September 2010. Hall had regularly volunteered to run part of Leg 5, which passes through Canton, West Simsbury, Avon and West Hartford, over the past few torch runs, Lt. Kelly Walsh, spokesperson for the Avon Police Department and Northwest Connecticut Torch Run coordinator, said.

Thursday, officers and state troopers from throughout the region took to the pavement early despite the temperatures already in the mid-70s. One of the legs started in and wove its way south through before reuniting with the other legs Hartford. The second leg began at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic and traveled through Mansfield, Tolland, , and Windsor before joining the other groups at the Capitol.

A new addition to this year’s race was student runners from high schools. In students joined Police Capt. Tom LePore and helped carry the torch.

Although the run garners a significant amount of attention, Sgt. Luis Rosa, Law Enforcement Torch Run Director, said that the officers are “involved in much more than just the three day torch run.

The event encompasses a variety of associated fundraisers held throughout the area like Tip-a-Cop and Cop-on-Top. Law enforcement agents also work throughout the year to raise public awareness for Special Olympics Connecticut.