Redlands Welcomes the Flame of Hope

On July 19, the Flame of Hope, the official torch for the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015, will be carried through Redlands, with a ceremony to be held at Lincoln Memorial Shrine, 125 W. Vine St., at 10:40 a.m. Speaking at the ceremony will be Mayor Paul Foster, Redlands Chief of Police Mark A. Garcia, Jeff Martinez on behalf of the University of Redlands Host Town, and Special Olympic athlete and Final Leg runner Jazmine Slama from Utah. The public is invited to join the city in welcoming the law enforcement officers who serve as the Guardians of the Flame of Hope and the Special Olympic athletes as they participate in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg. Law enforcement officers and Special Olympic athletes are selected by their respective Special Olympics programs to be one of the 126 Final Leg Team members based on their dedication and commitment to the Special Olympics movement. Community members are encouraged to join the celebration alongside law enforcement to express support for these athletes! Throughout the journey of the Final Leg, law enforcement officers from around the world will be spreading the message of acceptance and inclusion for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The Flame of Hope will complete its journey on July 25 when the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg team carries it into the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 World Games and it ignites the cauldron at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics Opening Ceremony. The public will be able to see daily photographs, videos and read reports of the Flame of Hope’s journey online at: LETR-FinalLeg.org and on social with #FinalLeg2015 on Facebook and @LETRforSO on Twitter.