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Law enforcement officials from all over Fairfield County came out to support and escort torch-bearing athletes who made their way to the Connecticut Special Olympics to be held at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven. The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run began early Friday morning in Greenwich as the motorcade thundered down Route 1.
Almost the entire contingent of uniformed officers from the Norwalk Police Department took up the escort when the torch crossed the town line at about 10:30 a.m. Officers in squad cars, on motorcycles, bikes, and 15 officers running alongside the athletes made an impressive sight as the torch was handed off to athletes.
"Just to see the reactions on the kids' faces is amazing," Officer Edward Schwartz said, who performed Traffic Captain duties for the run. "Businesses that knew it was going on were standing outside. We had quite a few people standing on the sides of the road taking pictures. It was just amazing to drive by and watch it."
Watching over the hand-off was Mark Kurimai of Fairfield, an adaptive physical education teacher at Norwalk High School and local coordinator for Special Olympics athletes. Kurimai has been a coach for the Connecticut Special Olympics team for 30 years overseeing both track and field athletes and the bowling team.
"This is absolutely super," Kurimai said. "We've always had good participation with the police officers in this event. The support has been really great from all the uniformed officers in Norwalk."
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an international event that raises more than $34 million a year for Special Olympics worldwide. Connecticut leapt to the forefront last year in organizing the fundraising and promoting the spirit of the Special Olympics.
"The international conference was held at Foxwoods just this past year," Kurimai said. "They had police officers from all over the world coming and exchanging their ideas."
The torch run will reach its final destination of New Haven at 5 p.m.
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