Local police departments to hold torch run to support Special Olympics athletes

POCATELLO — The Pocatello and Chubbuck police departments are set to host a torch run that will support athletes participating in the Special Olympics.

Officer Morgan Hansen, community outreach officer for the Pocatello Police Department, said the event is called the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Pocatello police used to participate in the event years ago but hasn’t for awhile.

“Officers from surrounding agencies will be running with Special Olympic athletes,” she said. “Anyone is welcome to come, but only law enforcement are participating.”

Hansen said the run will take place on May 22 and would be about 1 mile long. It will start at Swanson Arch at Idaho State University. Participants will run along Seventh Avenue before turning back at Seventh Avenue and Lewis Street. She said they are expecting a good number of runners.

“We have about 30 people registered for it right now,” she said.

Hansen said there has been a lot of interest in the event so far. She said this national event that Pocatello police will be participating in is the largest public awareness event and fundraiser for the Special Olympics. According to the Special Olympics website, the event has raised over $600 million for Special Olympics programs since it first began in 1981.

“We’ve invited all the surrounding agencies to participate,” she said. “I know we’ve had people from Idaho State Police and Bingham County signed up.”

Hansen said she hopes this event will be something the Pocatello Police Department will be able to host for the years to come. She said they plan to hold a fundraiser for it in the coming months.

“I think it would be good to do every year,” she said.

Hansen said the event was originally supposed to be held on May 1, but it had to be postponed following the death of Ada County Deputy Tobin Bolter.

“His funeral was the day before,” she said. “We postponed to honor him and to give appropriate mourning time for him.”

Hansen said the Law Enforcement Torch Run is being held throughout the State of Idaho. She said a couple of them are happening on the same day as the one in Pocatello.

“There’s one in Sun Valley,” she said. “They’re traveling throughout the state.”

Hansen said the Law Enforcement Torch Run was started in 1981 in Kansas. The idea was to give law enforcement a way to be more active in their communities while supporting the Special Olympics.

More information about the Law Enforcement Torch Run can be found at specialolympicsidaho.org/letr-home .