‘Flame Of Hope’ Arrives In Salisbury/Wicomico County

Wicomico County Law Enforcement Officers Participate in Statewide Torch Run Relay as Show of Support for the Special Olympics Maryland Summer Games Maryland Torch Run Celebrates 25 Years of Success

Salisbury -- Law Enforcement officers representing Wicomico County Law Enforcement will be on the run on Monday June 7th at 1PM taking part in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Relay for Special Olympics Maryland. Their mission: to escort and protect the Special Olympics ‘Flame of Hope’ as it makes its way toward the opening of the 40th Anniversary Summer Games at Towson University, June 11-13.

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Maryland Torch Run, a movement that began in 1986 with a handful of officers raising $5,000, and has grown into a true year-round effort that involves thousands of officers and raised $3.7 million in 2009. Since its inception, the Torch Run has taken very seriously its role as “Guardians of the Flame”, and the Relay is an important and celebrated part of every Special Olympics competition.

The schedule for Wicomico County’s portion of the Torch Run is as follows (all times are approximate and subject to change):

Begin 1PM at Salisbury University Student Center Parking lot and immediately run to Pinehurst Elementary School where the staff/students line the streets and special education students run with law enforcement. The run will continue down Riverside Dr to downtown Salisbury where it will eventually end at the Salisbury Police Department.

This local portion of the Torch Run Relay is part of a much larger effort. Statewide, the Maryland Torch Run Relay consists of four different legs – Eastern, Western, Central and Southern – and throughout the entire week, thousands of Torch Run volunteers will cover hundreds of miles, eventually converging on Towson where the individual flames will be united in the Final Leg Ceremony and then officers from around the state will travel the final 2.5 miles to the Opening Ceremony at Towson University. It is there that the Flame is handed off to the Special Olympics athletes who have the honor of taking the final lap with the torch and then lighting the cauldron and officially declaring the 2010 SOMD Summer Games open.

“This Torch Run Relay is really just a small piece of what the dedicated officers from around the state do for the athletes of Special Olympics Maryland on a year-round basis,” said Lt. John Newnan, Torch Run Director for Maryland. “But it is perhaps the most visible, and as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of this movement, it is a phenomenal opportunity for us to bring our message of hope, acceptance and tolerance to the community at large. If we can change even one person’s attitude or educate someone about the abilities of Special Olympics athletes then every step of this week-long journey is worth it.”

The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Maryland is a year-round movement whose goal is to raise both funds and awareness for the athletes who train and compete in Special Olympics Maryland. The Maryland Torch Run began in 1986 with a handful of officers raising $50,000. Since that time, the Maryland Torch Run has grown tremendously, including volunteer officers from nearly every law enforcement agency and correctional facility in Maryland, and through special events such as the MSP Polar Bear Plunge, the annual Torch Run T-shirt sales and other efforts, raising $3.7 million for SOMD in 2009, and once again earning “Top Fundraising Program” honors at the annual International Torch Run Conference.

The 40th Anniversary SOMD Summer Games are set for June 11-13 at Towson University. During this celebrated weekend, 1,200 athletes from around the state will go for gold in aquatics, athletics, bocce, equestrian, cheerleading and softball.

For more information about Special Olympics Maryland, the Torch Run Relay and the 2010 Summer Games, contact Kelley Schniedwind at 410-789-6677 x117 or visit http://www.somd.org.