ROCKLAND — Knox County Deputy Lawrence Hesseltine was one of five law enforcement professionals selected by Special Olympics Maine to represent Maine law enforcement at the 2012 International Law Enforcement Torch Run Conference in Indianapolis, Ind. Hesseltine was also one of 30 officers selected to be a “Guardian of the Flame” while at the conference.

Hesseltine took over the Law Enforcement Torch Run campaign for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in 2010. That year he created the Torch Ride, which is an annual motorcycle ride for Special Olympics Maine that to date has raised $16,000. Since 2010 the KCSO has raised more than $37,000 for Special Olympics Maine.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is celebrating its 31st anniversary in 2012. The LETR for Special Olympics is the movement’s largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle, encompassing a variety of events including Torch runs, Polar Plunge, Tip-A-Cop, Cop on Top, Donut Eating Contest, Motorcycle Ride, and many other fundraising events. More than 85,000 international law enforcement officers have carried the Flame of Hope to the Opening Ceremonies of local and state/provincial Special Olympics competitions and games, and Special Olympics World Summer or Winter Games. The LETR is now present in all 50 U.S. states, Canadian provinces and 46 nations around the world. 

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Dispatch from Deputy Larry Hesseltine:

On Sept. 8, Torch Ride 2012 left the Owls Head Transportation Museum at 9 a.m. and traveled Route 1 to Belfast, where it met up with riders from the north and then continued down Route 3 to the Texas Roadhouse in Augusta. More than 30 Special Olympics athletes joined us on the ride on a bus provided by Schooner Bay Taxi of Rockalnd. Even though it was foggy and overcast, we still had about 85 bikes join us at the museum, we picked up another 15 riders along the way and returned to the museum with about 100 motorcycles.  Also on the ride this year was Miss Maine Collegiate 2013 Callie MacQueston.

We returned to the museum where the band Crossin Mason Dixon was playing and we all enjoyed a huge barbecue. We spent the afternoon eating and watching the athletes have the time of their life dancing and enjoying the band, and also calling out raffle numbers for the many items, including a flat screen TV, laptop computer, and a riding mower and trailer plus many other raffle items.

Torch Ride would like to thank all of the sponsors for their continued support of Special Olympics Maine and would like to give special thanks to its Platinum sponsors - KDK LLC Apparel Printing & Embroidery, Schooner Bay Taxi, Home Depot Rockland, and Linda Bean's Perfect Maine Lobster.

Next year's ride is scheduled for Sept. 7, 2013. Please watch our webpage, http://www.torchride.info, for updates.