Howard County police officers and five Special Olympics athletes will receive the Special Olympic Torch, known as the “Flame of Hope,” Thursday, June 23, as part of the Maryland Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The event returns fully in-person for the first time since 2019.
Since the beginning of June, thousands of law enforcement officers and Special Olympics Maryland athletes across the state have the Special Olympic Torch hundreds of miles to raise awareness and money for Special Olympics Maryland.
Howard County police will receive the Special Olympics Torch at approximately 10 a.m. in Ellicott City at Centennial Park. Law enforcement officers will carry the torch with the assistance of Special Olympics athletes over six miles on roadways around the park.
Before the run, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will present a proclamation, and the HCPD, Maryland State Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Howard County Department of Corrections will swear-in Howard County Special Olympics athletes as honorary law enforcement officers.
Since its inception in 1986, the Maryland Law Enforcement Torch Run has raised more than $64 million for Special Olympics Maryland in support of its mission to provide quality sports training and competition to Maryland’s children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
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