The Flame of Hope will travel across the state from six different points throughout May, as part of the largest awareness campaign for the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics North Carolina (NC LETR).
All legs of the Torch Run Relay will converge on Raleigh on Friday, June 2, with the Final Leg of the relay taking place at 10 a.m. Law enforcement officers will run the Flame of Hope from Carter-Finley Stadium to the North Carolina State Capitol and on to the 2023 Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) Summer Games Opening Ceremony at Reynolds Coliseum on North Carolina State University’s campus. Officers will form a Circle of Honor and then light the cauldron to officially open the Games during the Opening Ceremony, which will begin at 7:30 p.m.
A complete list of Torch Run Relay legs and schedules is available online. For media inquiries, contact SONC Vice President of Development for NC LETR at lmoyar@sonc.net or (919)-210-0966.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an international fundraising event for Special Olympics. In 2022, North Carolina law enforcement officers raised more than $1.5 million for SONC through special events, individual and corporate donations and donations for T-shirts.
The 2023 SONC Summer Games will be held June 2-4 in the Triangle area and will include more than 1,500 athletes from across the state. Athletes will compete in athletics, basketball, bowling, gymnastics, powerlifting, swimming and volleyball.
Official 2023 sponsors of NC LETR include: Championship Level: Sheetz, IDEAs that Work, Credit Suisse Americas Foundation, Dunkin’, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, NC Knights of Columbus and Publix; Gold Level: Powers & Thomas Midway Entertainment and Lowe’s Home Improvement; Silver Level: Crossroads Ford of Apex, Mark Jacobson Toyota, Highwoods Properties, DMJPS PLLC and SiteOne Landscape Supply; Bronze Level: Durham Exchange Club Industries Inc. (DECI), Bob Barker, North Carolina Medical Society and Relias.
About the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics North Carolina
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is an international fundraising campaign for Special Olympics. Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition for more than 5.4 million children and adults around the world who have intellectual disabilities. 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 North Carolina 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, the North Carolina Association of School Resource Officers, the North Carolina Department of Justice, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
About Special Olympics North Carolina
Since 1968, the organization 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 20 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. Engage with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
