Officers run Flame of Hope across NC to Raleigh to begin Special Olympics 2023 Summer Games

The Special Olympics Flame of Hope took a trip across North Carolina to prepare for the games on Friday.

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Throughout the month of May, the Flame of Hope traveled to six different points throughout the state as part of the biggest awareness campaign for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics in North Carolina.

All legs of the Torch Run Relay met in Raleigh on Friday, with the final leg beginning at 10 a.m. Law enforcement members took the Flame of Hope from Carter-Finley Stadium to the state’s capital and then to the 2023 Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) Summer Games opening ceremony at NC State’s Reynolds Coliseum.

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Officers then stood in a Circle of Honor and lit the cauldron to officially begin the Summer Games during the Opening Ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is one of many fundraising events for the Special Olympics. Last year, officers in North Carolina raised more than $1.5 million for SONC through events, individual and corporate donations, and donations for T-shirts.

This year’s 2023 SONC Summer Games will start on June 2 and end on June 4 and will feature over 1,500 athletes who will compete in different events like basketball, athletics, bowling, gymnastics, powerlifting, swimming, and volleyball.

For more information about the Special Olympics in North Carolina, click here.

(WATCH BELOW: York County officers hit the streets for Torch Run to raise awareness for Area 11 Special Olympics)