Keep Your Eye out for the Torch Run Thursday

From the Newport Beach Police Department: 

On Thursday, May 29, members of the Newport Beach Police Department will participate in the annual Special Olympics Torch Run.  

The Torch Run is a partnership between communities, law enforcement agencies, and Special Olympics with the goal of increasing awareness and raising funds to support local athletes.  

This year in California alone, more than 4,000 officers will carry the Flame of Hope over 1,500 miles to the Summer Games Championship. The Summer Games is a two-day competition in which 1,200 Special Olympics athletes will compete in basketball, bocce, golf, gymnastics, swimming, and track & field in locations throughout the Los Angeles area.

Officers representing many law enforcement agencies throughout the State collected donations for their participation. They were sponsored by civic groups, local businesses, and generous friends.  

All monies raised by law enforcement personnel go to the Special Olympics and are directed toward program support and development; expenses for athlete participation in local, regional, state, and international competitions; and training workshops and conferences.

Each year, the torch is carried into our city along Pacific Coast Highway by runners from the Laguna Beach Police Department. The Flame of Hope is then handed off to members of the Newport Beach Police Department at Newport Coast Drive. Our runners then carry the torch along Pacific Coast Highway and up Dover Drive to Irvine Avenue, where it is handed off to the Costa Mesa Police Department.