Officers to Participate in Law Enforcement Torch Run June 5-7

The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Connecticut will make its way across the state on Wednesday, June 5th, Thursday, June 6th and Friday, June 7th. Local officers and Special Olympics athletes will run, bike and escort the Special Olympics Torch with its “Flame of Home” through Connecticut communities, during the three-day event to raise awareness of Special Olympics and its year-round sports, health and fitness programs and to inspire inclusion and acceptance for people of all abilities.

More than 1,500 officers are expected to participate in the annual Torch Run which takes place the three days leading up to the Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games. Participating officers will cover more than 530 miles as they pass the Torch from town to town.

The start and end locations for the Torch Run Legs (and hyperlinks to schedules) are:

Wednesday, June 5th

Leg 1 – Old Lyme to Ledyard

Let 2 – Putnam to Ledyard

End-of-Day Rally at Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, 5 p.m.

Thursday, June 6th

Leg 3 – North Branford to Wethersfield

Leg 4 – Willimantic to Bloomfield

Leg 4a – Enfield to Glastonbury

Leg 5 – Plymouth to West Hartford

Leg 6 – Naugatuck to West Hartford

End-of-Day Rally at Blue Back Square, 65 Memorial Boulevard, West Hartford, 5 p.m.

Friday, June 7th

Leg 7 – Newington to New Haven

Leg 8 – Chester to New Haven

Leg 9 – New Milford to Bethany

Leg 9a – Ridgefield and Wilton

Leg 9b – Monroe to New Haven

Leg 10 – Greenwich to New Haven

Rally at WWE Headquarters, 1241 E. Main Street, Stamford at approx. 9:10 a.m. and Final Leg procession during Summer Games Opening Ceremonies at Southern Connecticut State University’s Jess Dow Field, 7:15 p.m. The Opening Ceremonies event is free and open to the public.

To view the routes and schedules for each Leg and see when the Torch Run will be passing through your town, visit soct.org. Also, follow Special Olympics Connecticut and the Connecticut Law Enforcement Torch Run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Officers who participate in the Final Leg of the Torch Run will form a procession and bring the Torch onto Southern Connecticut State University’s Jess Dow Field, where the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies are held. The Flame will be used to light a large cauldron, signifying the vitality and spirit Special Olympics athletes possess – and the start of Summer Games weekend, June 7th through the 9th. For details about Summer Games, visit soct.org.

In addition, the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics Connecticut is a year-round effort carried out by officers who support local athletes by organizing fundraisers, raising awareness about Special Olympics in their communities and serving as volunteers at events. Active and retired officers representing municipal departments, state police and correction facilities, military police and federal employees and college and university public safety officers get involved.

Sponsors of the Law Enforcement Torch Run include Dream Ride, Whelen Engineering, WWE and The Bearingstar Insurance Charitable Fund – Platinum Sponsors and Adams Hometown Markets / IGA Hometown Supermarkets and Papa’s Dodge – Gold Sponsors.

About Special Olympics Connecticut

Special Olympics Connecticut provides year-round sports training and competitions for over 12,000 athletes of all ages with intellectual disabilities and Unified Sports® partners - their teammates without disabilities.

Through the joy of sport, the Special Olympics movement transforms lives and communities throughout the state and in 172 countries around the world by promoting good health and fitness and inspiring inclusion and respect for all people, on and off the playing field. (www.soct.org)

Partner Sponsors: Adams Hometown Markets/IGA Hometown Supermarkets, Dream Ride, ESPN, Eversource Energy, The Golisano Foundation, Law Enforcement Torch Run, NBC Connecticut, TD Bank, United Technologies and WWE.

Year-Round Suppliers: Adams Hometown Markets/IGA Hometown Supermarkets, Campus Customs, The Coca-Cola Company, Connecticut Portable Storage/PODS, Crystal Rock Water and Coffee Company, Marcus Communications, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Community Service and WORX.