Special Olympics in the running

ENDEAVOUR Hills and Narre Warren police will be among those taking part in a torch relay to mark the opening of the 2008 Special Olympics this weekend.
Police will help light the cauldron inside Dandenong Stadium to commence two days of games in the Dandenong region for a range of sports, including basketball, aquatics, bocce and ten pin bowling.
Senior Sergeant Chris Thynne said Victoria Police had been involved in the Law Enforcement Torch Run segment of the Special Olympics for several years now.
He said the torch run was a fantastic way to assist organisers with the event and engage with the local community.
“The Special Olympics relies almost entirely on volunteers to give people with an intellectual disability the chance to compete in sport, and it’s a real honour to be involved in the torch run,” Sen Sgt Thynne said.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run was first initiated in 1981 by police in Kansas, USA.
It has since then been adopted around the world.
Approximately 200 athletes will take part in the Special Olympics this Saturday and Sunday at three different venues in Dandenong, Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren.