Carrying The Torch: Parsippany Police Among Those Running For NJ Special Olympics

PARSIPPANY, NJ — On Friday, some Parsippany Police Department officers will put on running gear instead of their normal uniforms, to take part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey.

The 41st annual New Jersey Torch Run is a day-long event which will be split into 26 separate legs, with some runners getting started as early as 4:45 a.m. on Friday, June 7. Teams will pass the torch to other police departments on their routes —covering about 750 miles on foot — to show that the "flame of hope" is burning brightly in the Garden State.

More than 3,000 officers will carry the torch through their communities, to raise awareness for Special Olympics NJ ahead of this year's Summer Games at The College of New Jersey, taking place from June 7-9.

Parsippany Police will pick up the torch from Mountain Lakes PD at the corner of County Route 618 and U.S. 46, and end at Smith Field Park.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics began in 1981 in Kansas, as a national effort to raise awareness and funds for the programs while championing acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities. Organizers say there are over 100,000 law enforcement members that carry the “Flame of Hope” annually, and the run has raised more than $1 billion.

Click here to see the route for the Torch Run that includes Parsippany. There are two other routes that pass through Morris County communities — one beginning in Whippany and ending in Madison, and one beginning in Union and ending in Long Hill.

You can see photos from last year's New Jersey Torch Run here, with departments from around the state.