Annual torch run will pass through Marion County

Special Olympics athlete Adrienne Bunn, 17, of Forest High School, held the Special Olympics torch after it was lit by Lt. David Woolf of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, as members of law enforcement got ready to take off on the Law Enforcement Torch Run For Special Olympics at the Ocala Police Department in Ocala, Fla. on April 13, 2023. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman]

The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Florida is underway. Each year, more than 5,000 officers carry the torch on a 1,500-mile relay through 67 counties in Florida.

The run will come through Marion County on April 25, starting at 8 a.m. at the Publix Supermarket at 8080 SE 165th Mulberry Lane, The Villages. It will finish at the World Equestrian Center at 1284 NW 87th Court Road, Ocala, with a ceremony set to take place from 3:15 to 3:45 p.m.

Law enforcement officers from more than 300 Florida agencies—including police departments, sheriff’s offices, Florida Department of Corrections, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, U.S. Customs, Air Force Police and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission— participate in the annual run to benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Florida. Funds are generated through contributions from individuals and businesses, and sales of T-shirts and caps.

The relay will culminate at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics Florida State Games in May.

To learn more, go to specialolympicsflorida.org