Los Angeles Games set to begin July 25

The Special Olympics World Games Flame of Hope torch, which has left Greece to begin its journey to light the opening ceremonies cauldron in Los Angeles, is coming to Benicia.

Benicia police Volunteer Coordinator Patti Baron said she hopes residents will turn out to see the symbolic flame Tuesday and greet the participating athletes who are accompanying the torchbearer.

Just as in the torch run for the Northern California Special Olympics Games, those carrying the torch for the World Games are members of law enforcement, Baron said.

That’s because those agencies are long-time supporters of the Special Olympics, she said, and officers raise and donate money that helps keep the Games going. The latest numbers, Baron said, show that law enforcement has raised $511 million for the Games.

Law enforcement officers also volunteer as Guardians of the Flame of Hope, accompanying Special Olympic athletes during the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Guardians and athletes are chosen for the torch run based on their commitment to the Special Olympics movement, said Baron, who has been working for the past six months to arrange the Benicia portion of the trip.

Baron said the Special Olympics World Games have not been played in California since the 1980s, so having the torch pass through Benicia is unusual.

“It’s quite an honor,” she said.

This city was chosen because Benicia police have a long history of supporting the Northern California Special Olympics, including its torch run. “We’ve always donated to them through the Police Officers Association,” she said. The local department also has been instrumental in making sure other law enforcement agencies become involved in Special Olympics.

Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who started a day camp, Camp Shriver, for intellectually disabled children to give them more opportunities to play. It’s one of only two organizations allowed to use the name “Olympics” in the United States.

With the help of her mother, Rose Kennedy, and a Canadian physical education professor, Dr. Frank Hayden, Shriver helped found the first Special Olympics Games event that saw 1,500 athletes from the U.S. and Canada compete at Soldier Field, Chicago, in 1968.

From that beginning, Special Olympics has grown to become the world’s largest sport organization for children and adults who have mental and physical disabilities. Local, national and regional competitions are conducted annually throughout the year, and the World Games take place every four years.

The most recent summer World Games took place in Athens, Greece, in 2011, and the Winter Games were in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2013.

The Los Angeles Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will begin with opening ceremonies July 25, will mark the first time in 16 years they’ve been in the U.S.

About 7,000 athletes, 2,000 coaches and 30,000 volunteers from more than 170 countries are expected, and half a million spectators are expected to watch the nine days of contests in 25 sporting events at 27 different venues.

That will make it the largest single sporting event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.

Those interested can follow the Flame of Hope’s journey at LETR-FinalLeg.org, on Facebook and on Twitter. Competition schedules and other information about the Special Olympic World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, are available at www.LA2015.org.

“It’s a big honor to have the World Games in the United States, and to be here in California,” Baron said.

Her own involvement with the Games goes back several years, when she participated in Berkeley, where law enforcement officers were teamed with athletes. “It’s so heartwarming,” she said.

Plenty of law enforcement officers will be participating in this torch run, Baron said. California Highway Patrol officers are escorting the bus that carries torchbearers on longer distances.

The torch’s bus will arrive next Tuesday from Chico. One leg of the trip will make a stop in Vallejo, carried to the steps of Vallejo City Hall where Mayor Osby Davis and Vallejo police Chief Andrew Bidou will greet Special Olympian Dale Smit of New Zealand and law enforcement torch runner Shawn Rowden of Saskatchewan.

The torch bus next will arrive at Benicia’s Alvarez Ninth Street Park, where members of Benicia Chamber of Commerce will greet its arrival and set up a “ribbon cutting” start to the live run from the park down West K Street.

From there, the Flame of Hope will be carried to City Park, at the intersection of Military West and First Street, for a ceremony starting at 3 p.m.

“We’ll be doing a rolling parade,” Baron said. Escort cars, with lights flashing, will precede the runners to the park. Students from a Benicia Parks and Community Services day camp will be brought to City Park to greet the athletes, some of whom will be their own ages.

“We want a gauntlet on each side,” Baron said, referring to two rows of greeters that form so the runners can be greeted on either side with applause, cheers and high-five hand slaps.

Once the runners reach the City Park gazebo, Lt. Frank Hartig of Benicia police will introduce City Councilmember Christina Strawbridge, who will welcome the runners. Also participating is Benicia police Chief Erik Upson.

Torch runners Bruce Merriam, of Vermont, and Jazmine Slama, of Utah, will speak about the Special Olympic Games and what they mean, and the pair will exchange gifts with Benicia representatives.

The ceremony continues with award-winning chorale VOENA, newly back from Bali, singing songs composed specifically for Special Olympics, including one written by Director Annabelle Marie. “This will give the community a chance to hear them,” Baron said.

The Olympic athletes will mingle with residents for a short time, then they’re off to Concord, their next stop on the way to Los Angeles, Baron said.

“Everyone’s invited,” Baron said of the ceremony at City Park.

“We’re just ecstatic they’re going to be here. I’m hoping we’ll give them a good show!”

The welcoming ceremony will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday in City Park, First Street and Military West.