Officers from the ottawa police department will carry the special olympics kansas flame of hope tomorrow, May 29th on a 55 mile run/ride. The public is encouraged to line the streets tomorrow in downtown Ottawa and cheer on Special Olympic athletes from COF as they run the torch through town. The run in Ottawa will start at the Kansas State Bank North, around 8:30 and end in Emporia. The Torch Run will transition to a bike ride at 23rd and Princeton, then continue to Beto Junction, where Ottawa Police will connect with Lyon County and Emporia Police and ride the rest of the way to Emporia. The run is part of a 1,600 mile journey for the Flame of Hope Across Kansas as part of the ceremonial 2024 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Kansas.
More than 2,000 officers will take part and raise nearly $500,000 for the Special Olympics. Locally, Kalmar has been the guardian of the flame since 2011. Their sponsorship of the Torch Run supports Special Olympics Kansas events and athletes statewide, but also locally with direct support of uniforms and equipment for local programs in and around Ottawa. The final leg of the Torch Run will take place in Wichita on Friday, concluding at Maize South High School during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2024 Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games.
