MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Expect some delays on the road on Friday morning if your commute intersects with the route of the annual Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.
The Marion County leg of the run takes place today, Friday, April 5.
It begins at 8 a.m. at the Publix off Highway 42 at 8080 SE 165th Mulberry Ln. in The Villages. The guardians of the flame will travel 26.8 miles and end around 2:30 p.m. when they trot the torch into the World Equestrian Center (WEC) at 1284 NW 87th Ct. Rd.
The purpose of the event is to highlight law enforcement’s support of Special Olympics Florida and to raise funds for the summer games which take place in May in Orlando. Special Olympics Florida provides “year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities.”
Each year, over 5,000 officers carry the “Flame of Hope” on a 1500-mile relay through 67 counties in Florida.
Motorists are urged to use caution and expect delays as a rolling blockade of traffic protects the runners and torch bearers along the route.
In Marion County, the run is the kickoff to this weekend’s Special Olympics State Equestrian and Cornhole competition at WEC.