Thank you to all who participated in and supported the 2023 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics DC. Thanks to over 300 donors, we have raised over $30,000 for Special Olympics DC athletes and year-round sports, health, and education programming!
It was a cool October morning in Southeast DC for over 250 runners from across DC Police, local military, and veterans to brave the Congressional Cemetery 5k course, all in the name of inclusion. Runners included DC Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith, Assistant Chief of Police Stuart Emmerman, and Special Olympics USA Games Athletes Marco McDaniels, Capacini Kimble, D’Kari Pickett, Lindsey Wilkes, Novie Craven, and Rachel Washington. Chief of Police opened up the race, telling the crowd, “What we did with the fundraising for this effort is we give the opportunity for men and women with intellectual disabilities to recreate, to run, to have a safe space, to have education and academic opportunities.” Special Olympics DC CEO thanked all the supporters: “You being here today changes attitudes and makes DC a safer place for our athletes.”
Special Olympics DC Athletes D’Kari, Lindsey, and Novie Craven, alongside Chief of Police Smith, then dashed off with the Torch of Hope.
The Torch Run began in 1981, when the Wichita, Kansas Police Department ran a Torch across their city to show support for their local Special Olympics athletes. Now, all around the United States, Law Enforcement officers have shown up year after year for their local athletes, to say that they matter. This legacy of amazing support continues in DC for more than 2,000 local Special Olympics athletes who participate in essential year-round sports, health, and inclusion programs.
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