Employees from the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility carried the “Flame of Hope” from Larned to Great Bend on Wednesday in anticipation of the Special Olympics Summer Games. After reaching the edge of town, the LCMHF crew caught a ride to Brit Spaugh Park, where they joined members of The Storm Special Olympics team and Barton County law enforcement for a parade down Main Street to the courthouse.It is expected that 950 officers from over 95 agencies will carry the torch through 30 Kansas counties as they travel some 1,500 miles, according to information from the Law Enforcement Torch Run.Law enforcement officers, along with Brayden Hugunin of Burlington, Most Inspirational Athlete of 2013, will light the cauldron to officially open the Summer Games in front of over 3,000 athletes, coaches and fans of Special Olympics on Friday. Locally, the run started at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Larned’s Schnack Park.
Officers carry a torch for Special Olympics