What a moment!
Special Olympian Deni Islett, 14, shares the torch with Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict during a leg of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Campaign on Wednesday morning at Port Angeles City Pier.
The run sponsored by law enforcement across the North Olympic Peninsula was to end that night with Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez leading it across the Hood Canal Bridge.
On Friday, Peninsula athletes will join in the opening ceremonies of the annual three-day summer games of Special Olympics Washington at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma.
Almost every law enforcement agency in Clallam and Jefferson counties was represented in the Peninsula run, said Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Cameron.
“It’s an opportunity for our law enforcement officers to give back to their community. And they have a lot of fun doing it,” Cameron said.
Agencies included sheriff’s offices from Clallam and Jefferson counties, and Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend police departments, the State Patrol, Olympic National Park, area tribal police, the Coast Guard, the Clallam Bay Corrections Center and the U.S. Border Patrol.
Officers were carrying the torch in support of Special Olympics teams of athletes from both counties.
The Clallam County athletes were called the Orcas, while the Jefferson County team was known as the Warriors.
