Torch Run

The mission of the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics is to raise funds for, and awareness of, the Special Olympics movement worldwide. Law enforcement officers and personnel from all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces and territories, and more than 35 nations carry the "Flame of Hope" in honor of Special Olympics athletes in their area and around the world.

Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics


Special Olympics is a program that reaffirms the beliefs that with hope and dedication, we can see achievement and self-worth realized by any individual. It is our belief that people with intellectual disabilities, through their involvement in Special Olympics, show their communities that there are no limits to their potential. The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, through its fundraising efforts, supports this opportunity, making the potential for every Special Olympics athlete come to life!
Local Law Enforcement Officers Participating in the 2009 Torch Run
This international program continues to raise more than $20 million annually to support Special Olympics programs and $150 million since the Torch Run's inception in 1981. More than 80,000 law enforcement officers and personnel from thousands of agencies around the world have carried the "Flame of Hope" and are proudly referred to as the "Guardians of the Flame."

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics in the world. At its most basic level, the Torch Run is an actual running event in which officers and athletes run the "Flame of Hope" to the Opening Ceremonies of local Special Olympics competitions, state/provincial Games and National and Summer and Winter Games.

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