Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run makes its annual transit through Citrus County
Photo courtesy of CCSO.
Citrus County, Florida - On Friday, May 12, 2023, Citrus County Sheriff's Office deputies joined in the annual Florida Law Enforcement Torch Run that benefits Special Olympics Florida, a tradition that law enforcement agencies across the nation have participated in since 1981.
The torch, also known as the "Flame of Hope," symbolizes courage and celebration of diversity while uniting communities around the globe. Law Enforcement Officers from over 300 Florida Agencies participate in the Torch Run, with more than 5,000 officers carrying the torch on a 1,500-mile relay throughout all of Florida's 67 counties.
Citrus County's relay participants met at the Crystal River Community Resource Office, located at 123 NW U.S. Hwy. 19 in Crystal River, where the run started at 7:30 a.m.
Runners covered a distance of over 3 miles with the "Flame of Hope," traveling south on U.S. Hwy. 19, to State Road 44 (W. Gulf to Lake Hwy.), traveling east to the Publix grocery store, located at 6760 W. Gulf to Lake Hwy. in the Crystal Springs Plaza, at the intersection of County Road 486 (Norvelle Bryant Hwy.). The Publix grocery store chain, an event sponsor, provided fruit and drinks for all the relay participants.
At 9:30 a.m., bicyclists started the second leg of the relay, from the Crystal Springs Plaza to the Publix grocery store, located at 1012 W. Main St. in Inverness - about a 14-mile stretch. Participants, along with clients of the Key Training Center, began their walk to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) Operations building, located at 1 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. in downtown Inverness, arriving around 11:30 a.m.
At the CCSO Operations Building, lunch was provided for all participants by CoreCivic, the agency that manages the Citrus County Detention Facility, located at 2604 W. Woodland Ridge Dr. in Lecanto.
If you or a loved one needs help connecting with area resources pertaining to an intellectual disability, please reach out to the CCSO's Behavioral Health Department at 352-249-2790 to speak with a team member.
The Key Training Center in Inverness, Florida is a non-profit organization that serves Citrus County adults with mental and developmental disabilities.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Since its inception, the Law Enforcement Torch Run has raised more than half a billion dollars for the cause and changed millions of attitudes by engaging members of law enforcement worldwide to be champions of acceptance and inclusion.
"Here at the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, we are proud to once again represent our county, region, and state by showing up and being a part of this event," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "For many members of the CCSO family, this is more than a one-day event. Some volunteer year-round, and some donate regularly, but each of our deputies put on their uniforms each day and proudly display their badges as a promise to protect and serve all residents of our county."