2010 USA National Games
The Torch Run is Special Olympics' largest grass-roots fundraiser.
The Flame of Hope Reaches Nebraska
One volunteer described the final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run as an "incredible" experience: "In less than three days, our team has become a family."
Starting July 11, runners carried the Special Olympics torch from Ames, Iowa to the USA National Games in Lincoln, Nebraska – a journey that brought together law enforcement volunteers and Special Olympics athletes in a weeklong drive to the finish.
There were early morning wakeup calls and late-night sprints, not to mention full-out dashes beneath the hot summer sun. When a Special Olympics runner was plagued by blisters, he was surprised -- and touched -- to receive a brand new pair of shoes, courtesy of his Torch Run teammates.
Across the miles, the "Guardians of the Flame" were tasked with keeping the flame lit until the cauldron lighting at the National Games opening ceremony. The endurance run is about many things, including teamwork. As one officer puts it, "This is our purpose and mission … and we look out for each other."
The Torch Run is Special Olympics' largest grass-roots fundraiser and it can happen anywhere around the world -- from Tikrit, Iraq to Ames, Iowa. It all began in 1981 when Wichita, Kansas Police Chief Richard LaMunyon saw the importance of raising awareness of – and funds for -- Special Olympics.
Next year, the now-familiar tradition marks its 30th anniversary. They'll do it in style, in the run-up to the 2011 World Games in Athens, Greece.