Running for the Special Olympics
June 2nd, 2008, 5:56 pm · Post a Comment · posted by rpapandrea
Temperatures rose to 80 degrees Monday.
That might not seem that warm to most, especially with summer heat and humidity lurking, but I bet the more than 25 officers from Burlington, Graham and Mebane police departments running on the asphalt Monday morning noticed.
The officers participated in the N.C. Law Enforcement Torch Run for 
Special Olympics. While the event is mostly symbolic — the torch gets driven to some locations in the state — it didn’t make their efforts any less meaningful, especially to the many children and adults in the county with special needs.
The Special Olympics is a big deal to everyone who participates. When I covered Alamance County’s Special Olympics in April, many of the volunteers and teachers who brought the olympians out explained how much it means to the athletes.
“It allows them to be successful at sports and activities that they usually have difficulty in,” said Cindy Kreider, a teacher at Highland Elementary School. “But this is an area where they can compete and be successful and it’s a lot of fun.”
Police officers don’t just carry the torch through town and call it a day. Throughout the year, they plan fund-raising events to help support the Special Olympics.
Mebane Police Department has several events coming up this summer. 
Mebane police will spend three nights on the roof of McDonald’s Restaurant on Mebane Oaks Road in a Cop on Top fundraiser June 26-June 28. A round robin softball tournament will be held July 26 and a golf tournament at Mill Creek Golf Course will be held Aug. 28.
Check back here for more information.
