Law enforcement officers will relay the torch across the state to Raleigh by May 31
Law enforcement officers throughout North Carolina will carry the Special Olympics Flame of Hope across the state this spring to light the cauldron at the 2019 Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) Summer Games Opening Ceremony May 31 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, according to SONC President/CEO Keith L. Fishburne.
Editors’ Note - A completelist of Torch Run legs, contacts and schedules surrounding each leg can be found at http://sonc.net/torch-run/
The 33rd annual NC Law Enforcement Torch Run Relay for Special Olympics will include the following routes:
May 10 – Gaston County, Catawba County and Haywood County
May 11 - Wake County (Wake Forest Police Department)
May 14 – Rowan County
May 16 – Cabarrus County
May 17 – Wayne County and Lee County
May 21 – Carteret County, Craven County, Orange County and Vance County
May 22 – Cumberland County and Granville County
May 23 – Guilford County and New Hanover County
May 24 – Davidson County
May 25 – Pender County, Craven County and Wake County (Holly Springs Police Department and Fuquay-Varina Police Department)
May 28 – Alamance County
May 29 – Cumberland County, Onslow County and Orange County (Chapel Hill and UNC-CH Police Departments)
May 30 – Durham County, Johnston County, Wake County (Zebulon Police Department, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, Raleigh Police Department and NC State Highway Patrol)
May 31 – Cleveland County
Each spring, law enforcement officers from all over the state host a Torch Run relay in their communities. As Guardians of the Flame, officers carry the torch in relays spanning over 2,000 miles and pass the Flame of Hope throughout the state. All of the torches converge in Raleigh for the Final Leg, where officers and athletes carry the Flame of Hope to the Special Olympics North Carolina Summer Games Opening Ceremony. The Final Leg culminates with a Circle of Honor and the lighting of the cauldron to signify the opening of the Games.
All legs of the Torch Run will converge on Raleigh, May 31, with the Final Leg of the relay taking place that evening. Officers will run the Flame of Hope from the Bell Tower on NC State University’s campus to the 2019 SONC Summer Games Opening Ceremony at PNC Arena. Officers will form a Circle of Honor and then light the cauldron during the SONC Summer Games Opening Ceremony to officially open the Games.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an international fundraising event for Special Olympics. NC law enforcement officers’ 2019 goal is to raise $1.3 million for Special Olympics through special events, individual and corporate donations, plus donations for T-shirts and baseball caps.
The 2019 SONC Summer Games will be held May 31 – June 2 in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville and Holly Springs and will include nearly 1,800 athletes from across the state. Athletes will compete in athletics, bowling, gymnastics, powerlifting, softball, swimming and volleyball.
Official sponsors of the 2019 NC Torch Run include: Premier Level: Credit Suisse and Publix; Gold Level: DMJ, Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment, Mark Jacobson Toyota, Arthur R. Clark, Prudential and State Employees Combined Campaign; Silver Level: AAA Carolinas and Relias; Bronze Level: Bob Barker, DECI, Walmart Foundation, Crossroads Ford Cary, HMS Host and Mike Johnson’s Toyota-Hickory; Guardian Partners: NC DPS, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts Coastal Management and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.
About the NC Law Enforcement Torch Run
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an international fundraising campaign for Special Olympics. Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition for more than 5.7 million children and adults around the world who have intellectual disabilities. In 2018, the NC Torch Run efforts resulted in over $1.3 million being raised for SONC. Nearly 40,000 athletes participate in Special Olympics in North Carolina, making it one of the largest Special Olympics programs in the world.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics is officially endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriff’s Association, the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, the National Association of School Resource Officers, NC Association of School Resource Officers, NC Department of Justice and the NC Department of Public Safety.
About Special Olympics North Carolina
Since 1968, Special Olympics North Carolina has used the transformative power of sports to improve the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Nearly 40,000 athletes in North Carolina inspire thousands of coaches, sports officials, local program committee members and event organizers involved in Special Olympics statewide. SONC offers year-round training and competition in 19 Olympic-type sports on local and state levels as well as health and wellness initiatives to improve the health status and increase access to community health resources for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Youth become agents of change through Unified Champion Schools, an education and sports-based program created by Special Olympics to build an inclusive environment among youth with and without intellectual disabilities as well as empower them to become youth leaders and create change in their community. Visit Special Olympics North Carolina at www.specialolympicsnc.com. Engage with us on Twitter, Instagram, Faceboo
