ASHLAND — Athletes from Dale Roy School joined law enforcement officers Thursday on a short run to kick off the 2024 State Summer Games of the Special Olympics.
The torch showed up at Ashland Police Division around 4 p.m., where officers and other runners waited to pass it off to the Dale Roy Dragons.
The Dragons ran with their counterparts down Main Street from Dairy Queen, where they received hoots and hollers and claps from onlookers until settling for a celebration at Corner Park.
Nate Samples, Assistant State Director of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, said this year marked the first that anyone could join in on the torch run.
“This is the first year where we opened up not just to first responders — our firefighters, police officers, EMS — we actually offered it up to citizens also,” he said.
The torch run is a nationwide relay that began in Wichita, Kansas in 1981. It has grown since then to include police departments throughout the nation as a way to support Special Olympics athletes.
It now involves law enforcement officers, first responders, athletes and others running together to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics.
So far, the 2024 Ashland County Combined Law Enforcement Team — which includes all law enforcement agencies in the county — has raised $3,950 toward the national $100,000 goal.
They are third for the highest amount raised in Ohio, behind Stowe and Canton agencies.
Samples, a police officer from Doylestown, has been a torch runner for 17 years. He loves coming through Ashland.
“We have such a great following of Special Olympics in Ashland. It’s always a no-brainer to run through here,” he said.
This year, the Dale Roy Dragons are sending 32 athletes to compete in bocce, bowling and athletics — a category that includes track and field, javelin and shot put.
“Every one of our athletes medaled last year, so we’re hoping for that again this year,” said Krissy Kauf, the team’s coordinator. “They’ve all worked very hard this year.”
The 2024 State Summer Games will be held in Columbus from June 28-30.
Kauf is excited. She said the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium is under construction — so the opening ceremony will be held at Ohio Stadium, or “The Shoe.”
“So it’s going to be even bigger and better than it has been in the past,” she said. “It’s going to be awesome.”
Patrick Derodes was all smiles Thursday. The 16 year-old will be competing in his favorite game this year: bowling.
When asked what his favorite part of the game is, he simply said: “Strikes.”
