Annual Special Olympics Torch Run has police, friends taking it to the streets
Graham Wiley, holding the torch, gathers with the runners in front of the Camden Town Office, just before he leads off the 2015 Torch Run for Special Olympics. (Photo by Sarah Shepherd)
The runners take off with Graham Wiley. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
Justin Hills is on his bicycle and Lt. Mike Geary is driving a Camden Police cruiser, to escort the runners along Route 1. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
The Wiley family coordinated the water stop in Rockport. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
Jeff Boudreau, Camden Police officer, leads the runners with the torch along with Jala Tooley. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
Graham Wiley, holding the torch, gathers with the runners in front of the Camden Town Office, just before he leads off the 2015 Torch Run for Special Olympics. (Photo by Sarah Shepherd)
The runners take off with Graham Wiley. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
Justin Hills is on his bicycle and Lt. Mike Geary is driving a Camden Police cruiser, to escort the runners along Route 1. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
The Wiley family coordinated the water stop in Rockport. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
Jeff Boudreau, Camden Police officer, leads the runners with the torch along with Jala Tooley. Photo by Sarah Shepherd
CAMDEN – It was perfect weather Wednesday morning in downtown Camden for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Graham Wiley, of Camden, who has been leading the torch run for the past 19 years, was there once again with his parents, Beverly and Sherwood, to support the group of runners gathered in front of the Camden Town Office before their journey to Rockland.
Wiley, who is now 24, has participated in the Special Olympics throughout his childhood. His mother, Beverly, said that he will be participating in four different events at the 2015 state games including track and field, softball throw, 50 meter dash and the standing long jump. Wiley has won past medals for the softball throw and standing long jump.
This year the runners, sporting their red and gold law enforcement torch run T-shirts, were Camden Police Chief Randy Gagne and Camden police officers Wes Butler, John Tooley and wife, Jala, Brook Hartshorn, Jeff Boudreau, Tim Davis, and former Rockland Fire Chief, Charlie Jordan. Sgt. Travis Ford, of the Rockport Police Department joined the runners in Rockport.
Escorting the runners were Justin Hills on his bicycle and Lt. Mike Geary in a Camden police cruiser.
The Camden runners handed off the torch at the next leg of the run in front of the Home Depot in Rockland with members of the Rockland Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, and the District Attorney’s Office participating.
More than 600 law enforcement officers in Maine will be participating in the run to help raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics. Last year, The Torch Run was the largest single fundraiser for Special Olympics.
The Torch Run will end at the University of Maine in Orono on June 5 where the Special Olympic state games are held. Maine has more than 2,500 athletes who participate in the program.
Justin Hills, a part-time officer with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and a Special Olympics volunteer for several years, will be driving a cruiser to Orono for the opening parade and march of the athletes in the stadium with the lighting of the flame. Hills will also be handing out metals to the athletes.
Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com
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