Special Olympics NY: Westchester Law Enforcement Torch Run is Thursday

OSSINING, NY — The annual Westchester Law Enforcement Torch Run will go through Westchester on Thursday, including stretches on Route 9 and 9A in Ossining and Croton-on-Hudson. The Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics is the largest grassroots fundraising and public awareness vehicle for the movement across the globe. There's a long-standing relationship between the Special Olympics and police departments, and it's visible locally every year as hundreds of officers participate in the annual relay.

Special Olympics NY provides year-round sports training and athletic competitions for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities, including mental retardation. Athletes are never charged nor are their families or caregivers for participating. Currently, New York State has the largest Special Olympics program in the country, serving more than 68,000 athletes.

For more than 25 years, thousands of law enforcement officers have carried the Flame of Hope through their towns, villages, and cities signifying the unique relationship between the athletes of Special Olympics NY and the Law Enforcement community.

Internationally, more than 97,000 officers from across the world carried the "Flame of Hope" through their communities and into their local games and competitions last year.

And more officers, agencies and communities get involved every year, Special Olympics officials said. This LETR Torch Run will help raise funds and awareness.

The May 4 Westchester LETR Torch Run will begin in Yonkers at 8 a.m. Officers will then carry the torch through Mt. Vernon, Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Eastchester, Scarsdale, White Plains, Greenburgh, Elmsford, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Mt. Pleasant, Sleepy Hollow, Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Croton-on-Hudson, Cortlandt, Buchanan, and end in Riverfront Park in Peekskill.

In case you want to cheer them on, here's the route and estimated times:

CITY OF YONKERS 08:30 A.M.

1. Start at Yonkers 3rd Pct. on Riverdale Ave.

2. North on Riverdale to Radford Street.

3. Radford St. to So. Broadway.

4. Nepperhan Ave East to Yonkers Ave East - To Midland Ave.

5. Left on Midland Ave. to Kimball Ave - Right on Kimball Ave.

6. Left on Midland Ave to Broad St. Bridge - to Gramatan Ave.

TOTAL MILEAGE 4.3 MILES

CITY OF MT. VERNON 0915 (9:15 A.M.)

1. Left on Gramatan Ave to BRONXVILLE

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.2 MILES

VILLAGE OF BRONXVILLE 0930 (9:30 A.M.)

1. Bronxville- ROUTE 22 to Tuckahoe-Bronxville line

TOTAL MILEAGE .3 MILES

VILLAGE OF TUCKAHOE 0936 (9:36 A.M.)

1. Tuckahoe-Bronxville line to Eastchester Line.

TOTAL MILEAGE .3 MILES

EASTCHESTER 0940 (9:40 A.M.)

1. Eastchester-Tuckahoe line on Midland Ave. to Main St.

2. Stop at Eastchester Fire House. (approximately 5 Minutes).

3. Main Street to Route 22 North.

4. Route 22 to Scarsdale Line.

TOTAL MILES 2.5 MILES

VILLAGE OF SCARSDALE 1015 (10:15 A.M.)

1. Scarsdale-Eastchester line on Route 22.

2. North on Route 22 to White Plains City Line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 2.9 MILES

CITY OF WHITE PLAINS: 1050 (10:50 A.M.)

1. From Scarsdale Line on Rt-22 to Mamaroneck Ave.

2. Left on Mamaroneck to Martine Ave.

3. Left on Martine Ave. to Bank Street.

4. Right on Bank Street to Hamilton Ave.

5. Left on Hamilton Ave. to Rt-119.

TOTAL MILEAGE - 2.5

TOWN OF GREENBURGH 1130 (11:30 A.M.)

Westchester County Center Rt-119, Greenburgh Line

Route 119 west to Elmsford line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.6 MILES

VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD 1150 (11:50 A.M.)

1. Elmsford - Greenburgh line on Route 119 West to Greenburgh

town line.

2. Lunch Stop over at Am Legion Park Route 119.

12:25 Run resumes.

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.5 MILES

TOWN OF GREENBURGH 1225 (12:25 P.M.)

1. Greenburgh - Elmsford line West on Route 119 to Tarrytown

line.

TOTAL MILES .9 MILES

VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN 1235 (12:35 P.M.)

1. Greenburgh - Tarrytown line, West on Route 119.

2. Route 119 West to Route 9 North.

3. Route 9 North to North Tarrytown line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 2.2 MILES

VILLAGE OF SLEEPY HOLLOW 1255 (12:55 P.M.)

1. North Tarrytown - Tarrytown line on Route 9 North.

2. North on Route 9 to Mount Pleasant line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.7 MILES

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT 1315 (1:15P.M.)

1. Mount Pleasant - North Tarrytown line North on Route 9 to

Briarcliff Line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.5 MILES

VILLAGE OF BRIARCLIFF MANOR 1330 (1:30 P.M.)

1. Briarcliff - Mount Pleasant line on Route 9 North to

Village of Ossining line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.1 MILES

VILLAGE OF OSSINING 1340 (1:40 P.M.)

1. Village of Ossining - Briarcliff line on Route 9 North to

Town of Ossining line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 3.2 MILES

TOWN OF OSSINING 1410 (2:10 P.M.)

1. Town of Ossining - Village of Ossining line North on Route

9 to Village of Croton line. (might be better to keep going

to Croton Point Ave.)

TOTAL MILEAGE .3 MILES

VILLAGE OF CROTON 1415 (2:15 P.M.)

1. Croton Village - Ossining Town line North on Route 9

exit at Croton Point Ave.

2. East on Croton Point Ave. to Route 9A (Riverside Ave.)

3. North on 9A (Riverside Ave.) to Town of Cortlandt line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 4.7 MILES

TOWN OF CORTLANDT 1505 (3:05 P.M.)

1. Town of Cortlandt - Croton line on Route 9A North through

Montrose to Buchanan line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 2.6 MILES

VILLAGE OF BUCHANAN 1535 (3:35 P.M.)

1. Buchanan - Montrose (Town of Cortlandt) line North on

Route 9A to City of Peekskill line.

TOTAL MILEAGE 1.3 MILES

CITY OF PEEKSKILL 1545 (3:45 P.M.)

1. City of Peekskill - Buchanan line North on Route 9A to

Welcher Ave.

2. East on Welcher Ave. to Washington Street.

3. North on Washington Street to South Street.

4. East on South Street to Division Street.

5. North on Division Street to Main St.

6. West on Main St. to Water St.

7. South on Water St. to Peekskill Riverfront Park.

Total Mileage 2.7 Miles.

Approximate finish of run 1615 Hours (4:15 P.M.)

END OF RUN

PHOTO: Torch relay through Ossining, 2013/Taliaferro