Special Olympics Athletes and Law Enforcement Join South Dakota’s Torch Run

Milbank’s Special Olympics athletes carrying the Flame of Hope raised awareness and funds for Special Olympics during their annual Law Enforcement Torch Run on Tuesday, May 15. As traditionally done in Milbank, the runners started out the front doors of MHS, ran by a large United States flag hanging over a fire truck in the parking lot, headed down 7th Avenue, and continued on 5th Street to the finish line at Koch School.

The Flame of Hope symbolizes the Special Olympics goal: shining a light on the talents and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities. The runners carried the lighted torch and were escorted by local law enforcement who had their vehicle lights flashing. Officers also ran with the athletes and Koch School students lined the last block of the course to cheer on the runners.

Milbank athletes included: Devin Pollock, Trevor Lack, Daniel VanDover, Makenzie Wittrock, Briar Zuraff, Draigh Breland, Courtney Kroemer, Mariah Pillatzki, Chris Stodolski, Jacob O’Donnell, Jacy Anderson, and Tyler Johnson. Coaches were: Abbey Trapp, Jeanine Dashiell, and Joyce Johnson.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run began in 1981 in Wichita, Kansas. South Dakota joined the run in 1988. South Dakota’s 2018 run started May 14, at 8:00 a.m. at Garfield School in Sioux Falls. It continued across the state Tuesday and Wednesday, and ended with the last run at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, at Creekside Elementary in Spearfish.

The Torch Run has grown into the Special Olympics’ largest grassroots fundraiser and public awareness movement — involving more than 100,000 law enforcement runners around the world. Over 4.9 million Special Olympics athletes – ages 8 years old and up — live in 172 countries. South Dakota has 2,000 participating Special Olympics athletes.