The signature event for Delaware LESO is the annual Torch Run, when over 500 police officers carry the Flame of Hope 160 miles over three days across the state, leading up to the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Games.
2012 Torch Run -- the 26th annual -- begins with a gala send-off on Wednesday, June 6 at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand beginning at 7 p.m.
Ceremonies will then take place at Legislative Hall in Dover (Thursday, 2 p.m.), Wilmington Police Department (Friday, 1:20 p.m.), and the Summer Games Family Picnic (Friday, 5 p.m.). All times are approximate.
The "Flame of Hope" will then be carried into the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Games, which begins Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.
The Torch Run kicks off in Rehoboth Beach the Wednesday before Summer Games with Law Enforcement motorcycles presenting the ‘Flame of Hope’ during a formal ceremony at the bandstand at 7 p.m. Runners then lead the Torch out of town with the first mile dedicated to Cpl. Chris Shea, DSP, who was tragically killed in a traffic accident. This first leg of the Torch Run is sponsored by Nicola Pizza. The flame continues to Delaware State Police Troop 7 in Lewes where the run stops for the night.
On Thursday, the Torch Run resumes in three Sussex County locations – Delmar, Lewes and Georgetown. The three Sussex County legs of the Torch Run unite in Harrington, where the three torches become one and the run continues north through Kent County. The procession stops for an afternoon ceremony at Legislative Hall in Dover before the flame makes its way to Odessa.
The final day of the Torch Run, Friday, is marked by an early-afternoon ceremony on the steps of the Wilmington Police Department and then specific miles dedicated to law enforcement officers. One of the dedicated portions of the run is the one-mile leg down Main Street in Newark, named "Gary’s Mile," in tribute to Gary Summerville, a University of Delaware officer who died in a traffic accident. The final mile into Olympic Village is known as "Jimmy’s Mile," in honor of Jim Curran, a former New Castle County police officer who was injured in an accident.
The Flame of Hope makes its way into the Family Picnic in front of the UD football stadium at approximately 5 p.m. and is then run into the Opening Ceremony (7 p.m. Bob Carpenter Center) where the Athlete of the Year lights the cauldron to officially open the games.
Throughout the Torch Run, the Delaware Good Samaritan (Good Sam) Club follows torch runners in recreational vehicles to provide safety and refreshments, and SODE board member, Winnie Spence, leap-frogs the torch to ensure it stays lit the entire 161 miles. Delaware is the only state in the country that runs a lit 'Flame of Hope' the entire length of the state prior to its Summer Games.
This year's event is the 25th annual Torch Run. In the 25-year history of Delaware Law Enforcement for Special Olympics, over $3.5 million has been raised.
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