Officers Carry Torch to Raise Funds for Special Olympics

A caravan of runners, bicyclists and roller-skaters representing the Long Beach Police Department carried a Special Olympics torch nine miles through the city Monday in support of the coming weekend summer games at UCLA.

Accompanied by support vehicles, more than a dozen officers made their way west after receiving the torch from the Seal Beach Police Department about 1 p.m.

Winding from Pacific Coast Highway through Belmont Shore, then along Ocean Boulevard toward downtown Long Beach, they handed the torch to members of the Los Angeles Police Department upon reaching the Wilmington border at Pacific Coast Highway about 2:30 p.m.

Across the state, more than 1,500 police officers have signed up to participate in two simultaneous torch relays.

The fund-raising event was started in 1981 to support the California Special Olympics. This year’s events are set to begin Friday and conclude Sunday.