SHINE — Clallam and Jefferson runners finished the North Olympic Peninsula leg of the passing of the Special Olympics torch with a hand-off from the Hood Canal Bridge to Kitsap County participants earlier this week.
A group of about 20 runners made up predominantly of Special Olympians and law enforcement officers on handed the torch Wednesday night to a Suquamish Police Department officer who took it to Bainbridge Island for the next leg of the journey.
Rain had extinguished the torch by the time it arrived at its Wednesday destination.
Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez, who participated in the run, said he was inspired by the Peninsula’s Special Olympian teams: the Clallam County Orcas and the Jefferson County Warriors.
“These kids show how you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it and are an example to all of the young people in Clallam and Jefferson counties,” Hernandez said.
“If everyone applied one-tenth of the effort these kids put into this, the world would be a better place,” Hernandez said.
The runners were due to arrive at the finish line at about 6:20 p.m. but were delayed until 7 p.m. because of rain, Port Townsend Police Officer Nate Holmes said.
Parents, friends and supporters waited at the east side of the bridge and cheered the runners as they arrived.
The Peninsula leg of the annual Torch Run started at Laird’s Corner west of Port Angeles early Wednesday morning.
Almost every law enforcement agency in Clallam and Jefferson counties was represented in the run, which included about 45 runners, said Chief Criminal Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Cameron of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Agencies include 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 Border Patrol.
On Thursday, runners carried the torch through Poulsbo, Bremerton and Port Orchard.
It is scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Lewis-McChord today for the beginning of the annual three-day summer games sponsored by Special Olympics Washington, which provides sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Nearly 2,700 Special Olympics athletes statewide will compete through Sunday in such events as swimming, soccer, track and field, power-lifting and cycling.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
