Bay-Area Law Enforcement Helping Carry Special Olympics Torch Next Week

By Bay City News Service

Bay Area law enforcement agencies will be carrying the Flame of Hope Special Olympics torch along the final leg of its 4,648-mile journey in the U.S. to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next week.

The Flame of Hope’s arrival will be celebrated in Sacramento on Monday and will then embark on three separate routes that will merge in Los Angeles on July 25.

Most Bay Area events are on Monday and Tuesday. More than 90,000 law enforcement members in all 50 states, 12 Canadian provinces and territories and 44 other countries have participate as Guardians of the Flame during the Law Enforcement Torch Run that ensures the Flame of Hope arrives at the Special Olympic Games Opening Ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

A team of 126 members, including 98 law enforcement runners, 10 Special Olympics athletes and logistics personnel will serve as Guardians of the Flame during the torch’s journey through 120 cities in California.

Ceremonies are planned in each city through which the torch will pass.

“The Final Leg event is an amazing opportunity for law enforcement officers from around the world who work tirelessly year-round in support of the Special Olympics,” said John Newman, captain for the Final Leg Team.

The 10 Special Olympic Athletes will tell their personal stories at 119 ceremonies in cities and towns throughout California during the Final Leg event, Newman said.

The Special Olympics World Games includes 25 Olympic-style sports that will take place in venues around Los Angeles July 25-Aug. 2.

The ESPN network will bring coverage of the games to millions of people around the world. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games.