Members of the Cobourg Police Service, Port Hope Police Service and Community Living & Respite Care Northumberland will come together June 25 for the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Special Olympics Ontario.
The event will see participants run, walk and bike through both municipalities while raising awareness and funds for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
The first leg of the Torch Run begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Port Hope Police Service on Fox Road. Participants will travel a five-kilometre route through Port Hope before concluding at Giant Tiger on Peter Street.
The second five-kilometre leg begins at 12:40 p.m. from Giant Tiger in Cobourg. The route will travel south through town, passing the Cobourg Police Service and picking up Community Living participants before finishing at Community Living & Respite Care Northumberland on Cottesmore Avenue.
Organizers are encouraging residents to safely cheer on participants from sidewalks and front lawns along the route.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is one of the largest public awareness and fundraising campaigns supporting Special Olympics worldwide. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police identifies Special Olympics as its charity of choice, with law enforcement officers serving as “Guardians of the Flame” as they carry the symbolic Flame of Hope.
Funds raised through the event help support more than 26,000 Special Olympics athletes across Ontario, providing opportunities for inclusion, acceptance and achievement through sport.
Residents can also support the cause by purchasing limited-edition 2026 Special Olympics Torch Run fundraising coins, available for $20 at the Cobourg and Port Hope police services while supplies last.
Donations can also be made online throughout the month in support of the local Torch Run team.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
