Area law enforcement agencies carry the torch for Special Olympics

Law enforcement scampered on foot Tuesday morning along a stretch of U.S. 62 then onto the U.S. 31W Bypass.

No crime was committed nor were they tracking down a perpetrator attempting to flee.

On their own time, officers were chasing something better for special needs athletes by taking part in the 31st Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Kentucky.

After taking a handoff from Hardin County Sheriff's Office representatives, about 25 Elizabethtown police officers and staff members began jogging nearly eight miles from Central Hardin High School on Leitchfield Road to W.A. Jenkins Road, where they met up with their counterparts from the Radcliff Police Department.

Last year's run raised $4,500 for Special Olympics athletes in Hardin County. Darrell Brangers, communications supervisor for Elizabethtown Police Department, hopes nearly the same amount, if not more, will be raised this year.

Money generally is raised through sponsorships from the city of Elizabethtown, Brown Funeral Home, the Blue Knights and EPD's local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge. Businesses also donate.

Over the years, custom shirts have been made and sold among law enforcement agencies in the county.

Competition between the two departments was jovial this year.

Radcliff has said it has more participants than Elizabethtown.

"They've been teasing one of our officers saying they're going to have more than us," Brangers said.

While EPD's runners are associated with the department, Radcliff had extra feet pounding the pavement this year with Mayor Mike Weaver participating as well as heads of other city departments, including Chance Fox, chief financial officer, and James Hummel, director of parks and recreation, plus a group of volunteers who enjoy running.

Capt. Willie Wells, special services commander for RPD, said 10 to 15 officers took part.

"We want to make a good showing this year," he said. "E'town usually shows us up each year."

Many of the runners are new patrol officers recently added to the department.

Elizabethtown's police officers arrived at the torch exchange point near W.A. Jenkins Road amid cheers from their brothers and sisters in blue.

Officer Kelly Tipple celebrated his first anniversary in law enforcement and his 47th birthday by participating in the torch run.

"Supporting Special Olympics and running with the blue family" is why Tipple chose to run Tuesday.

After finishing the run with EPD, he jumped in and ran the eight to nine miles with Radcliff.

Officer Justin Hendricks of the EPD Special Response Team put in nearly five miles before he handed the torch off to an RPD officer.

The entire SWAT team participates yearly in what he referred to as "a noble cause."

Sgt. Jeff Foster, with about two decades tenure, carried the torch for a third time. His ex-wife is a school teacher whose students are mentally and physically challenged.

"I think it's important to let people know we are out here to support those students," Foster said.

The 53-year-old officer said he also has friends who are physically challenged and he is running to support them as well.

Brangers, himself, has participated 27 years in the annual run scheduled for the Tuesday following Memorial Day.

"I don't run like I used to because when you get older, the wheels slow down," he said. "I may not be able to run from here to the barn, but I'll try to run a little bit."

The torch, weighing between 10 and 15 pounds, is passed from runner to runner along the route.

Radcliff police carried the torch along Dixie Boulevard to Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-Central, where it was passed to Fort Knox military police who took the torch onto the installation.

The opening ceremony for Special Olympics Kentucky is this weekend at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond and Brangers plans to attend.

From the first time he went, he was hooked. Brangers said participants range in age from 10 to 80.

"If you've ever been to the opening ceremonies, it's touching," he said. "They eat you up and think you're something special and look up to you."

Greg Thompson can be reached at 270-505-1762 or gthompson@thenewsenterprise.com.