Show f to toi i r To Torch rc h Run for t Special Olympics t c Todd J. J News vs Editor 1 t O 0 raise funds for the mentally retarded T To the Salt Lake City Police Department is Sponsoring its it's fifth annual Torch Run for Utah tah Special Olympians Torch Run 90 will L begin on the State Capitol Building steps at am a.m. Thursday May 10 The annual torch run for Special Olympics began in Wichita Kansas in 1981 Wichita Richard need to Police Chief LaMunyon saw a y promote awareness of and raise funds for the mentally retarded in his community He felt r the torch run along with various activities in inthe the community would accomplish these thesey y r tasks The popularity has spread so far and so soI 1 I fast Torch Run 90 will see a run in over 20 J countries as well as all of the states and the i f District of Columbia I Torch Run 90 in Utah will cover over 1400 miles in 13 days The torch will rest in several communities accompanied by a myriad of I I raising fund-raising activities sponsored by each community The Flame of Hope was carried miles last year by law enforcement officers A Y ve vey V a r y x I j jAll tj t j All 40 school districts in the state have been contacted as well as all four Boy Scout Districts Each has been asked to participate parti pate in the Cop Adopt program where each officer is sponsored with funds raised in local school and scout activities According to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department mental retardation retardation retardation tion is much more prevalent than we believe Currently mental retardation is seven times more common than blindness or deafness ten times more prevalent than physical disabilities disabilities disabilities dis dis- dis- dis abilities 12 times more common than cerebral palsy and 35 times more prevalent than muscular dystrophy Last year the run garnered over through raising fund-raising efforts associated with the run For more information concerning Torch Run 90 contact the Utah Special Olympics |