Vernon police officers carry the torch for Special Olympics

Vernon - About a dozen members of the Vernon Police Dept. and several local Special Olympic Athletes gathered at 6 a.m. on the warm cloudy morning of Friday, June 2, to kick off the statewide 23nd annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics of New Jersey. The officers and athletes carried the “Flame of Hope” torch from Mountain Creek down Route 94 south to the county line, where they handed it off to the next leg of officers who continued on Route 23 toward Trenton. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the Special Olympics’ largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle, raising more than $21 million for Special Olympics Programs around the world in 2005. The N.J. law enforcement officers were recognized as the leader in fund-raising dollars for the fourth consecutive year, and have won praise for the highest grossing fundraising program of its kind in the world.