Newtown police and Garner Correctional Institution staffers will be running in the Newtown leg of the annual Special Olympics of Connecticut Torch Run on Friday, June 7.

The event is intended to raise public awareness of the Special Olympics Summer Games which will run from June 7 through 9 in New Haven and Hamden.

At approximately 11:15 am on June 7, Bethel police will hand off the Special Olympics torch to Newtown police at the Dodgingtown Firehouse at 55 Dodgingtown Road (Route 302).

Newtown police and Garner staff will then carry the torch along Dodgingtown Road to Sugar Street. They will follow Sugar Street onto Glover Avenue and then turn left onto Queen Street, after which they will turn right onto Church Hill Road.

The runners will follow Church Hill Road to the Blue Colony Diner at 66 Church Hill Road where they will turn over the torch to state police from Troop A.

Police urge Newtown residents to come out and cheer for them along the Newtown leg of the event.

In a statement, Newtown police expressed thanks to Newtown Sunoco a/k/a NJK Auto, Pub 25, Holy Cow Ice Cream, and Salon Michele for their support of the torch run.