Hawke's Bay Police will join some of the region's Special Olympics athletes at 1pm on Saturday 5 November to carry the Flame of Hope through Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park in Hastings.
The event is part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), which will see torches relayed from each end of New Zealand to Hamilton - the venue for the 2022 Special Olympics National Summer Games.
"The support of the New Zealand Police and other service personnel is hugely valued and we look forward to taking to the streets with them as we move throughout the country," Special Olympics chief executive Carolyn Young says.
"The LETR is one of the highlights of major Special Olympics events, and this year we are excited that the torches will travel to regions and clubs taking part in the National Summer Games".
Inspector Mark Harrison, of Palmerston North Police, is Director of LETR NZ. "Once again, we are delighted to be able to support the build-up to the National Summer Games. Law enforcement staff are proud to run alongside the athletes through our communities as the Flame of Hope makes its way to the Games in Hamilton."
"The Flame represents so much of what policing is about - it stands for hope, courage, opportunity, inspiration and equality", Harrison added.
The Hastings leg of the LETR is one of 31 torch run events taking place throughout New Zealand in the lead-up to the Games. More than 1,300 athletes from 42 Special Olympics Clubs and three schools will take part in this year's Games, which will take place from 8 to 13 December.
Held every four years, the Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games is the largest event for athletes with intellectual disabilities in New Zealand. The Games are run by Special Olympics New Zealand, which provides a year-round programme of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Similar in style to the Olympic torch relay, the LETR is a series of runs and fundraising events that raise awareness and money for the Special Olympics movement. Globally more than 90,000 police professionals and supporters across 46 countries participate in Law Enforcement Torch Runs.
In addition to raising awareness of Special Olympics in New Zealand, the LETR helped to promote and support Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programme (ALPs) - a programme that provides athletes with the tools and experiences to become leaders and to speak for themselves.
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