Torch Run honors Special Olympians

On Thursday, June 12, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics was held through Stark and Tuscarawas counties. The sun was shining as police officers and others carried the Flame of Hope through the area. It was a great day to honor the Special Olympics as they prepared to participate in the Special Olympics Summer Games in Columbus June 13-15.

The local event began in Navarre with Det. Vance Brothers and Capt. Alex Hall running the first leg from the Navarre corporation limit on Ohio 21 north of the village to Erie Valley Fire Department at the south corporation limit. A recreational vehicle driven by Nate Samples, leg leader in Northeast Ohio, brought the torch to Strasburg.

Cpl. Kayla Morrison Penick continued carrying the torch from El Campesino’s Restaurant on North Wooster Avenue, ending at the south end of the village near Hardee’s Restaurant.

Penick recently resigned from the Strasburg Police Department to join her husband, who is stationed with the military in Oklahoma. She will remain a part-time officer in Strasburg and plans to work when she is in the area.

The torch was transported to Dover, where police officers Sean Leffler and Tony Pellegrino took charge and ran across the boulevard to New Philadelphia, where Police Chief Tessa Pohovey and police officer Bradley Geist carried the Flame of Hope along with three firefighters, the city health director and Matthew Toole Jr., a Special Olympian from the Tuscarawas County Rockets, to the corporation limit.

Samples then drove the van carrying the Flame of Hope to Sugarcreek, where police officer James Long and several members of the Special Olympics track team joined him. The torch continued its journey until it finally reached the Ohio Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus. Officers then ran the torch to Jesse Owens Stadium.

Richelle Lefler, Special Olympics coordinator, said there were at least 40 athletes participating and 30 chaperones and volunteers representing Tuscarawas County at the event.

Others that participated and cheered on the torch run through Strasburg were Eric Lingo, who is employed by Starlight Enterprises, and Brad and Deb Fuller, bocce team coaches assisted by Julie Erwin.

Samples said Austin McGinnis, a member of the Tuscarawas County Rockets, carried the Flame of Hope in the final leg of the run into the Jesse Owen’s stadium during the June 13 opening ceremonies.

“Special Olympics is part of my life. I wanted to help and give back. I wanted to be a special education teacher; however, that did not work out for me and became a police officer in Barberton. For many years I only participated in the Barberton torch run. Then I became a leg leader. Tuscarawas County is my special family,” Samples said. “The average age of a Special Olympics athlete is 35.

“I love and support the Special Olympics events. They just do it differently. There will be at least 250 athletes competing in the three-day event.”