Officers from Newtown Police Department will be running the Newtown portion of the annual Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) Law Enforcement Torch Run on Friday, June 6.

The run raises awareness for SOCT, which will be hosting its Summer Games in New Haven at Southern Connecticut State University this weekend.

Members of Bethel Police Department will hand the Special Olympics Flame of Hope (torch) to Newtown Police Department in the area of Dodgingtown Fire Company’s firehouse at 55 Dodgingtown Road, at approximately 11:15 am. Newtown Police will then carry the torch the length of Sugar Street, over Glover Avenue, turning left onto Queen Street, and then right onto Church Hill Road, stopping at Blue Colony Diner.

There, the torch will be handed off to Connecticut State Police Troop A, who will continue moving the torch toward its final destination.

All are welcome to support the Newtown Police on an portion of the run, the department said June 2 via press release.

“We would like to especially thank our Adopt-A-Mile sponsors for their support with the torch run,” the release continued.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run

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is the single largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle for Special Olympics. Since its inception, the International Torch Run Program has raised more than $414 million (US) for Special Olympics worldwide, according to SOCT. More than 142,000 volunteers from 113 LETR programs across 46 countries every year carry 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. At its more extensive, the Torch Run program encompasses a variety of fundraising vehicles, in addition to the actual Torch Run, such as T-shirt or merchandise sales, donations or pledges for runners in the Torch Run, corporate donations, and special events such as Penguin Plunges, golf tournaments or other events hat have local appeal.