The Flame of Hope was lit on June 29th in Athens, Greece. It will make eight global stops before arriving in Beijing, China when the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games begins.The LETR Final Leg has a 20 year history of serving as pre-event ambassadors for the World Games. The Games will be held in Shanghai, but the Final Leg will carry the Flame of Hope and the Special Olympics message into many other major cities and regions of China to heighten awareness and get people focused on empowering individuals with an intellectual disability and the World Games.
On September 23, Constable Robert Howard of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary will start his journey when he travels to Beijing to be a part of the Final Leg. Constable Howard will be representing the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and act as an ambassador for law enforcement officers across the world.
Constable Howard has been a member of the local LETR for 17 years and was selected by his local members and the international selection committee to represent the organization. “We are very pleased to have Bob Howard, represent Newfoundland and Labrador in the Final Leg of the LETR in China. He is a dedicated member of our local LETR which raises much needed funds that provide Newfoundland and Labrador Special Olympic athletes with the chance to participate in Provincial, National and International games.” says Provincial LETR Chair, Jeff Fifield
The Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg team will be made up of 11 Special Olympics Athletes, 103 Law Enforcement Officer Runners, and 13 Support Team Members. The Final Leg mission is to heighten awareness of the Special Olympics movement and the World Games in Shanghai as well as to tell all of China about the amazing triumphs and abilities of Special Olympics athletes.
The 2007 Final Leg, will be joined by law enforcement officers in China as well as Special Olympics athletes to run through the streets of major cities in China and to hold ceremonies to tell hundreds of thousands of people what Special Olympics is all about. The media coverage will be extensive, broadcasting the runs and ceremonies throughout China. The total population of the cities that will be visited exceeds 80,000,000.
