Crime & Safety

Montville Police Officers Carry the Torch

Law Enforcement Torch Run Is a Major Fund-Raiser for Special Olympics

It was 93 degrees when the Montville leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run took place Wednesday afternoon.

Carrying the torch, officers from the Montville Police Department ran from the Norwich line south on Route 32, up what Montville PD organizer Robin Salvatore called “Heart Attack Hill,” and then across the river on Route 2A to Route 12.

Running were Matthew Orr, Robert Bedard Jr., Michael Pelletier, Michael Pierce and Garrett Boehm.

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The Montville PD officers were joined by Department of Correction officers, who began their run at the Best Western.

Later in the day, Pierce, who has run the race for six of his seven years with the department, said it was hot but manageable. He said that running on Route 2A is as fun as one might think.

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The Montville Police officers ran about 3 miles, Salvatore said.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run, according to the website, is the largest grass-roots fundraiser that Special Olympic has.

The run raises more than $38 million annually for Special Olympics around the orld. More than 85,000 law enforcement personnel from 40 nations, 13 Canadian provinces and 50 states carried the "Flame of Hope," raising awareness and funds for Special Olympics.

At its most basic level, the Torch Run is an actual running event where officers and athletes carry the Special Olympics "Flame of Hope" to the Opening Ceremonies of local tournaments, or state, provincial or national summer or winter games.

The Torch Run will cover more than 530 miles and run through more than 100 cities and towns. More than 1,500 law enforcement officers and Special Olympics Athletes will participate, representing local, state, and federal departments, agencies and correctional facilities.

  • Wednesday - The run ended with a rally in Ledyard. Come back to the Montville Patch at 9 a.m. for a video on the run!
  • Today - The day will end with the routes meeting at the Capital in Hartford where runners will come together for a celebratory wrap-up of the day's events.
  • Friday - The last day will end when the routes meet in New Haven for a celebratory wrap-up of the day's events at a site to be determined.

The final leg will end at the opening ceremonies for the 2011 Special Olympics Summer Games at the Southern Connecticut State University. The run will be approximately 1 mile long.

The goal for 2011 is to raise $550,000 for Special Olympics Connecticut.


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