They kept the flame going for Special Olympics Maine
- Tammy L Wells
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
ARUNDEL, Maine – If you were in the right place at the right time on June 3, you might have seen the passing of the Special Olympics torch, called The Flame of Hope, from a Kennebunkport Police officer to a York County Sheriff’s Office Deputy at the Arundel town line on Route 1.
Then, the deputies, some family members and a couple of Maine State Police officers ran the 4.2 mile trek together to the Biddeford city line, where officers there received the torch and continued on to pass the flame to Saco officers, and so on.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a tradition that began 45 years ago in Wichita, Kansas and took off across the country. In Maine, the torch run begins in York County and makes its way to Orono, where the Maine Special Olympics Summer Games took place June 5 - 7.
More than 2,200 athletes and coaches from every county in Maine were to participate in the weekend full of competition, celebration, and community, organizers said.
Athletes from 7 to over 70 years old competed in sports like bocce and track & field, while the Young Athletes Festival offered children ages 2–7 a chance to participate in developmentally appropriate, inclusive play and fitness activities.
York County Chief Deputy Jeremy Forbes began participating in the torch run in 2021 – during covid – and while there was no formal run that pandemic year, each police agency chose a route and ran it on their own.
Forbes said this year was extra special. York County Sheriff's Office Recruit Matthew Ryan received the torch from the Kennebunkport Police Department to begin the sheriff’s office leg of the run and had the honor of carrying it to the Biddeford city line. Forbes said Ryan was recently hired and is expected to attend the Maine Criminal Justice Academy beginning in August.
This year, Forbes welcomed his daughter Calley and son MSP Trooper Kyle Forbes to the torch run. Calley, he said, recently took up running and completed Boston Marathon, as did his wife, Heather.
“Family members will often join officers on the torch run – this year Deputy Levi Johnson's wife and three children ran the 4.2 miles with us,” Forbes said.
MSP Cpl. Travis Doughty and Forbes’ son Kyle represented MSP Southern Maine Field Division in the event – state police often join deputies in the run, he said.
Deputy Matthew Cummer was in high school in 2012 when he first ran the Law Enforcement Torch Run after his father, Kittery Police Sgt. Brian Cummer introduced him to the York County games. He’s been a fan of Special Olympics since then and this spring also took part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Super Plunge, where officers ran into the ocean in March once every hour for 24 hours.
This year, Cummer’s torch run job was to helped organize and start the several “legs” of the run from Kittery to Scarborough – as well as run the Arundel leg.
As the runners made their way up Route 1, Deputy Shawn Sanborn and Capt. Colton Sweeney served as safety escorts.
Forbes said it is an honor to participate in the event.
“It gives us an opportunity to step away from the often stressful part of our job to help raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics,” said Forbes. “ It is a great team- building event that we all look forward to each year.”
