Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Passes Through Northern Connecticut

The 25th annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics wound its way through Enfield and East Windsor Thursday morning.

Shortly after 9 a.m., a group of runners and walkers departed the Enfield Square parking lot for a five-mile trek to the East Windsor line. Participants included local and state police and corrections officers, as well as Special Olympics athletes.

At the entrance to the Burlington store, the entourage handed off the torch to the next group of officers, who continued down Route 5 through East Windsor to Harken's Market. The third group of the day was to meet them shortly after 11 a.m. and continue through South Windsor to East Hartford, where the final assemblage is scheduled to carry the torch to the Glastonbury Police Department.

Connecticut had its first Torch Run in 1986, with a few legs converging onto the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The run then became a statewide event involving several more cities and towns. Since its inception, the Connecticut Law Enforcement Torch Run has grown into the largest grass roots fundraising event for Special Olympics Connecticut.

The final leg of the run is scheduled for Friday, ending at the opening ceremonies for the 2011 Special Olympics Summer Games at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.