PRESS INFORMATION

LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS

2012

The Law Enforcement Torch run for Special Olympics is thirty years old. What started in 1981, with six Wichita, Kansas officers running three miles to raise awareness for the Special Olympics program, has grown to the largest grass roots fund-raising effort in the world. in 2010, the Torch Run raised more than $38.5 million dollars, worldwide. The run was to raise awareness of the Special Olympics movement, raise funds to help grow the cause, and to improve the communitys perception of law enforcement, as more than an enforcement arm of government. The Torch Run now is in all 50 states, nine provinces of Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. All of these runs are coordinated and carried out by law enforcement officers. The most unique aspect of the torch run is that there is no paid staff. 100% of the money raised by the runners stays in the state or country where it is raised. The Torch Run is a program that was founded by law enforcement officers, and continues to be coordinated, promoted and executed by law enforcement officers, all volunteers to benefit our Special Olympics athletes.

The Ohio Torch Run began in 1985. Since that day in June, when 10 officers from southern Ohio ran in the Cincinnati area, the program has steadily grown. In 2010 more than 1,1550 officers ran, biked, or assisted as support staff members, as the torch made its way from cincinnati, Toledo, Cleveland, Marietta, Cambridge or Ashtabula, to the Ohio Stadium in columbus, for th opening ceremonies of the Ohio special Olympics State Summer Games. during the last year, officers for Ohio Special Olympics raised more than $500,000.

The 2011 run will begin in Ashtabula, Ohio on the 20^th and in the cities of cincinnati, Athens, Toledo, Cambridge and Euclid on Wednesday morning June 20, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. The Cincinnati leg will begin at the Cincinnati Police Memorial, and over the next three days, the torch will makes its way through Hamilton, Middletown, Miamisburg, Centerville, Dayton, Xenia, Springfield, London, and West Jefferson, into Columbus. The leg that begins on the evening of the 23^rd in Springfield, will honor Deputy Suzanne Hopper, of the Clark County Sheriff's Office, who was killed in the line of duty on January 1^st of this year, and was a Special Olympics and Torch Run volunteer. In addition to raising awareness and funds for Special Olympics, runners will be honoring law officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and gave their lives in the past year, to protect the public. Runners will represent all facets of law enforcement in Ohio, from city and township police, to county Sheriffs Offices, and federal agencies, such as the FBI, DEA, Secret Service and the US Marshall 's Service, all working together to benefit Special Olympics.

For additional information on the run, contact:

Sgt. Ed Buns

Hamilton Ohio Police Division

Prior to the run at 513-868-5811 x 1395

Or during the run

Cell phone 513-615-2956