Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson carries the torch for his office.
SOMERVILLE - Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson literally carried the torch for the Prosecutor's Office in the borough leg of the 34th annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Friday in support of Special Olympics New Jersey.
More than 3,000 officers from 340 New Jersey police departments participated in the run this year, which covered 26 routes and 750 miles through more than 300 towns in an effort to to raise funds and awareness for the Special Olympics.
The officers, who raise more than $3.7 million in 2016 for the Special Olympics, carried the "Flame of Hope," which is used to light the Special Olympics New Jersey cauldron at the opening ceremony Friday for the 2017 New Jersey Special Olympics Summer Games at The College of New Jersey in Ewing at 7:30 p.m.
Over the weekend, more than 2,500 Special Olympics athletes are expected to complete in sports such as aquatics, bocce, gymnastics, powerlifting, softball, tennis and track and field over the weekend.
Shortly before 3 p.m., organizers of the Torch Run presented a plaque to Robertson and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office team at the Van DerVeer School.
"This is another great example of law enforcement coming together and reaching out to the community and showing support," said Robertson. "The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office is proud to participate once again this year, myself, Chief John Fodor along with several detectives and assistant prosecutors from the office will be running the Somerville "leg," and we are all excited to participate."
The Prosecutor's Office team, which has participated in the run since 1997, ran a route approximately 2.5 miles long.
The Somerset County Sheriff's Office also participated in the run. In fact, their team handed the Special Olympics Torch to the Prosecutor's team.
The Prosecutor's Office team began its at the Van Derveer Elementary School, located at 51 Union Ave, where it received the torch from the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.
The run proceeded on Union Avenue making a left onto North Gaston, then a right onto East Main Street through downtown Somerville, where the torch was turned over to runners representing the Hillsborough police department.
Somerset County Prosecutor's Office vehicles, Somerville police, State Police, Somerset County Sheriff's Office and NY/NJ Port Authority Police provided a police escort for the runners.
The Special Olympics provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
For more information on the run, a schedule of events this weekend or to donate go to the New Jersey Special Olympics website.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook