HAMDEN — Officers will run across Connecticut carrying the “Flame of Hope” to honor Special Olympics athletes and promote acceptance and inclusion for people of all abilities in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut. The Torch Run will take place Wednesday, June 3rd; Thursday, June 4th and Friday, June 5th.
Participants will include officers from municipal departments and correctional facilities, military police, federal employees, Connecticut State Police and college and university public safety officers. Special Olympics athletes will participate in some communities.
The dates, times and locations of the Torch Run are:
Day One, Wednesday, June 3rd:
- Leg 1: Chester to Ledyard – Chester, East Lyme, Groton, New London, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Stonington, Waterford
- Leg 2: Putnam to Ledyard – Griswold, Killingly, Ledyard, Lisbon, Montville, Norwich, Plainfield, Preston, Putnam
Day 2, Thursday, June 4th:
- Leg 3: North Branford to Wethersfield – Cromwell, Meriden, Middletown, North Branford, North Haven, Rock Hill, Wallingford, Wethersfield
- Leg 4: Willimantic to Bloomfield – Bloomfield, Manchester, Mansfield, South Windsor, Tolland, Vernon, Willimantic, Windsor
- Leg 4A: Enfield to Glastonbury – East Hartford, East Windsor, Enfield, Glastonbury, South Windsor
- Leg 5: Plymouth to West Hartford – Avon, Barkhamstead, Canton, Hartford, Litchfield, New Hartford, Plymouth, Simsbury, Torrington, Waterbury, West Hartford, Winchester
- Leg 6: Naugatuck to West Hartford – Bristol, Farmington, Naugatuck, Waterbury, Wolcott
- Leg 7: Hamden to Newington – Berlin, Cheshire, Hamden, New Britain, Newington, Southington
Day 3, Friday, June 5th:
- Leg 8: Clinton to New Haven – Clinton, Madison, Guilford, Branford, East Haven, New Haven
- Leg 9: New Milford to Bethany – Bethany, Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Milford, Newtown, Seymour, Southbury
- Leg 9A: Ridgefield & Wilton – Ridgefield, Wilton
- Leg 9B: Monroe to New Haven – Ansonia, Derby, Monroe, New Haven, Shelton, Trumbull, Woodbridge
- Leg 10: Greenwich to New Haven – Bridgeport, Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Milford, New Canaan, Norwalk, Orange, Stamford, Stratford, West Haven, Westport
- The Final Leg and lighting of the cauldron with the torch’s “Flame of Hope” will take place at Southern Connecticut State University’s Jess Dow Field during the Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games Opening Ceremony on Friday, June 5th. The Opening Ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and the event is free and open to the public.
- For more information, visit soct.org, email specialolympicsct@soct.org or call 203-230-1201. Follow Special Olympics Connecticut and the Connecticut Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics on Facebook and Instagram.
During Summer Games weekend, June 5th – 7th, athletes of all abilities will compete in swimming, soccer, track & field, tennis and cycling at Southern Connecticut State University and additional venues in New Haven County. All events are free and open to the public.