Antioch Police Department Officers, Dispatchers, Explorers, and City Manager, Ron Bernal, participated in the Special Olympics Torch Run on 6/16/18. Oakley PD handed the torch off to us as we continued the run west to the City of Pittsburg. The torch was carried by several police departments around Northern California, eventually arriving at a ceremony in Davis, California. The goal of the torch run is to support Special Olympics Northern California through fundraising and public awareness for the 2018 Summer Games. We had one our best turnouts for this year’s run, and we were honored to support such a great cause.
History behind Special Olympics Torch Run
LETR began in 1981 when Wichita, Kansas, Police Chief Richard LaMunyon created the Torch Run. He thought the Torch Run would help law enforcement be active in the community and support Special Olympics Kansas. In 1983, Chief LaMunyon presented the program to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). They decided to endorse Torch Run and became the “Founding Law Enforcement Organization.” With the IACP’s support, LETR became the movement’s largest public awareness and fundraising group for Special Olympics.
For community events in Antioch visit our events page.
