Law enforcement officers around the world go above and beyond the call of duty in support of Special Olympics
March 21st, 2014 (Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, Florida) – Crowds of local and state law enforcement officers will carry the Flame of Hope™ on the Escambia/Santa Rosa Counties leg of the Special Olympics Florida Law Enforcement Torch Run on Monday morning, March 24, 2014.
Multiple law enforcement agencies will join this year’s run and we expect a large turnout. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Pensacola Police Department and other law enforcement agencies will carry the torch as guardians of the flame. Additionally, several of our local Special Olympics athletes will either participate in the run or be cheering for each runner’s arrival at the courthouse.
Officers will begin to assemble for the first leg at 7:00AM, staging at the Food Giant, 9511 N. Century Blvd. at the Florida/Alabama state line (HWY 29), Century, FL. The run will start at 7:15. Officers will carry the Flame of Hope™ south for approximately 1.6 miles to the Century City Hall at 7995 North Century Blvd. (HWY 29). The second leg’s staging begins at 8:40AM at Escambia County Sheriff’s Department, 1700 W. Leonard St. Pensacola. The run will start at 9AM from Leonard St. and extend to Palafox St.. Officers will run past FDLE, 1301 N. Palafox St. and pick up any staff from there joining on the way on to Pensacola PD, 711 N. Hayne St. We will pause here for a water break and any other runners are invited to join during this portion of the run. The run will continue on to Alcaniz St. to our ending point at Bartram Park, 211 W. Main St. The approximate mileage for this leg is about 3.4 mi. Sheriff Morgan and Chief Simmons will address the runners.
All around the world, Special Olympics has a formidable and caring legion of protectors and supporters: the law enforcement community. The signature event of the law enforcement community’s year-round support is the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Florida. Every year, the Flame of Hope™ has traversed Florida in an intrastate relay of simultaneous routes throughout the state, covering countless thousands of miles. The torch is carried by hundreds of local and state law enforcement officers all the way to the Opening Ceremonies of Florida’s annual State Summer Games.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest grassroots fundraising effort for Special Olympics
