The Final Leg is the highlight of the Torch Run year. This takes place each year on the day of Summer Games Opening Ceremonies. Law Enforcement agencies carry the “Flame of Hope” torch from Frankfort to Summer Games at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. Each of these runs shows local communities the efforts that their own Law Enforcement community has made for Special Olympics.
The Final Leg is actually made up of several short runs to give the group time to carry the message of the Torch Run and Special Olympics to as many communities as possible on the day Summer Games begins. Torch Run volunteers from across the state gather in Frankfort on the morning of the Final Leg for the Final Leg Opening Ceremonies and Torch Lighting. After a short run, they gather on the Final Leg bus and head to the next destination. The Final Leg route varies some from year to year, but maintains a course through Central Kentucky so that the “Flame of Hope” can arrive on time for the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games.
The run is just one of the many events that make up the Final Leg festivities. Once in Richmond Final Leg participants join the annual VIP reception that precedes the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies. Torch Run members play a vital role in those Opening Ceremonies, carrying the torch into the stadium and joining Special Olympics athletes in lighting the ceremonial cauldron.
For more information about how your agency can participate in the Final Leg, contact LETR State Director Felipe Hernandez at 502-574-5471 or hernandez6274@gmail.com; or LETR Liaison Steve McGill at 502-695-8222 or smcgill@soky.org.
