Morgan Hill got a taste of the Olympic spirit Thursday morning when the Special Olympics Flame of Hope made a stop at the Community and Cultural Center.
With the Special Olympics Summer World Games set to begin on July 25 in Los Angles, the torch is making its way through California Cities to eventually light the Olympic flame to kick off the games.
The Morgan Hill Police Department welcomed the torch along with members of the Morgan Hill Fire Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff Department and the California Highway Patrol.
The run is part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which raises money for Special Olympics programs.
The efforts over the years have raised millions of dollars world wide for those with intellectual disabilities.
This year, the run was combined with the Final Leg in the lead up to the Special Olympics.
The torch has made its way through California cities starting on July 13. On Thursday, the torch kicked off the morning at Levis Stadium before making its way down to Morgan Hill.
“If you think about it, this is the biggest event in LA since the Olympics in 84. … For it (the torch) to stop in Morgan Hill, it’s an honor to have it stop here,” said MHPD Officer Greg Dini.
Morgan Hill has been involved in Tip a Cop and the Law Enforcement Torch run for years and was grateful to get a chance to host the torch, Dini said.
When it arrived, local law enforcement members with fire fighters and city council members greeted the torch with a small ceremony at the Community Center.
Mayor Steve Tate and MHPD Chief David Swing exchanged gifts with the runners. They gave a little piece of Morgan Hill and they received a plaque from Gibraltar and a commemorative coin.
“The torch run is a way for law enforcement to help make a difference,” Swing said in a speech to a small crowd gathered for the ceremony.
The runners represent athletes from a round the world who take part in the games, and the torch bearers came from across the United States and the world to escort the flame down to LA.
Some were athletes themselves selected to take part in the run. Others had their lives personally touched and wanted to give back to Special Olympics
“Believe me, it was a brilliant sense of emotion,” said Damian Rodriguez, a prison officer from Gibraltar.
He told the group that he got involved eight years ago to help out a colleague, but it especially hit home when a friend’s son was diagnosed with down syndrome.
Rodriguez said through the programs like Special Olympics, the boy has taken off and he wanted to give back.
Cody Pierce from Pittsburg, Kan., said his coach back home got him involved with Special Olympics and helped sign him up. Although he wasn’t selected to compete, he was selected to help escort the torch and he said he was excited for the opportunity.
“It’s a great experience just get to do this and be honored to do this,” Pierce said.
From there, torch runners formed a line and continued the symbolic journey up Monterey Road to Fourth Street where they boarded a bus for Gilroy.
