The City of Garden Grove welcomed the 2015 Special Olympics Summer World Games torch on Monday, as it traveled through California, en route to the official opening ceremony in Los Angeles on July 25.
The 2015 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics final leg arrived for a community welcome at Garden Grove Police headquarters, 11301 Acacia Parkway, on Monday, July 20, at 10:25 a.m.
The City of Garden Grove welcomed the 2015 Special Olympics Summer World Games torch on Monday, as it traveled through California, en route to the official opening ceremony in Los Angeles on July 25.
The 2015 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics final leg arrived for a community welcome at Garden Grove Police headquarters, 11301 Acacia Parkway, on Monday, July 20, at 10:25 a.m.
Approximately 20 to 30 runners began the 1.2 mile Garden Grove run by departing from the Harbor Town & Country Shopping Center, 12871 Harbor Blvd., at approximately 10:10 a.m., on July 20. The team headed southwest on Harbor Boulevard, turning right on Garden Grove Boulevard, continuing west. The torch runners turned right at Civic Center Drive, and stopped at the front of police headquarters for a brief reception.
Streets were not closed during the run, but traffic was reduced to one lane only down southbound Harbor, and westbound Garden Grove Boulevard, to accommodate the runners, who were escorted by the Garden Grove Police Department.
At the public reception, Garden Grove Police Chief Todd Elgin and Garden Grove City Council member Phat Bui spoke, and exchanged gifts with Special Olympics and law enforcement representatives, followed by a photo session.
On May 14, the Special Olympics Flame of Hope began its 73-day trans-Atlantic journey from Athens, Greece, arriving in Philadelphia, PA, then to Washington D.C., where three simultaneous routes traveled throughout the United States, meeting in Los Angeles on July 10. The torch was then handed over to the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics final leg team, to travel for 13 days to more than 120 cities and towns throughout California, including Garden Grove, before arriving at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The 126-member final leg team is composed of law enforcement runners, Special Olympics athletes, and logistics team members from 49 states and 24 countries around the world representing 79 torch run programs. Final leg runners were chosen for their dedication and commitment to the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics by their respective torch run programs throughout the world.
For more information about the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics final leg team, visit www.la2015.org.