On Wednesday, May 20, nearly three dozen SFPD officers will lace up and run through Union Square as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Northern California, and the San Francisco Police Community Foundation is proud to help make it happen.
The ceremony runs from 10 to 11 a.m. at Union Square, where law enforcement runners and Special Olympics athletes will carry the Flame of Hope through the city. From there, participating officers will continue the run through their local communities, with the torch ultimately arriving at the Special Olympics Summer Games Opening Ceremony on Friday, June 26, at Stevens Stadium on the Santa Clara University campus.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is one of the most meaningful traditions in American policing. More than 110,000 law enforcement personnel across the country voluntarily choose Special Olympics as their charity, raising funds and awareness through Tip-A-Cop fundraisers, Polar Plunge events, local fundraisers, and the Torch Run itself.
“This is what community investment looks like in practice: officers spending their time and energy building friendships with Special Olympics athletes, showing up for a population that deserves more visibility and more champions, and carrying a torch that represents something much larger than any single run,” said Ixchel Acosta, Executive Director of the Foundation.
Globally, the program has raised more than $900 million for Special Olympics. Here in Northern California alone, it has generated more than $20 million.
If you’d like to attend the Union Square ceremony and cheer on San Francisco’s law enforcement runners, the event is free and open to the public. For more information or to RSVP, contact Jennifer Rector at jenniferr@sonc.org.
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