Nearly 30 law enforcement officers from Aiken County ran about 10 miles from the Savannah River Site to the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center on Friday in a torch run to benefit the S.C. Special Olympics.
Aiken Department of Public Safety, the Aiken County Sheriff's Office and the Centerra-SRS Security Department joined forces for the event. Centerra Lt. Neil Thompson said such community support always moves him. He and his wife, Kathy, a Midland Valley High School teacher, have a son, Christopher, 19, who has Down syndrome and attends the school. Neil and Kathy serve as co-directors of the S.C. Special Olympics - covering Aiken, Edgefield and Saluda Counties.
"Chris is such a blessing for our family, the easiest child we raised," Thompson said. "He wakes up every morning with a smile."
The Aiken County torch run served as one of many precursors to the S.C. Special Olympic Games that opened Friday at Fort Jackson, said Aiken Department of Public Safety Lt. Karl Odenthal.
"We support the values of Special Olympics and what they instill in the athletes," he said. "We fundraise most of the year."
The torch run, held for many years, strikes a chord with all the law enforcement officers, Aiken County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Jason Feemster said.
"It's a great time for us to come together," he said. "There are 20,000 athletes in the state, and this gives us a good way to raise attention, funds and awareness."
Cheryl Stephens, of Centerra, coordinated that firm's participation in the torch run. She's excited about the State Games kickoff. Others led torch runs into Columbia on Friday.
Midland Valley High played host to the Area 15 games April 24. Special Olympics holds athletic programs, such as bowling and swimming. Several years ago, Kathy Thompson introduced Project Unify to Aiken County - a program that brings together special-education and regular-education students for sports and social events. They participated in a prom Thursday, and on Tuesday, they will play softball at Midland Valley.
Senior writer Rob Novit is the Aiken Standard's education reporter.