County law enforcement carry the torch for Special Olympics

The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics has been moved up a day from April 26 to April 25, and participants are preparing to carry the torch and spread the message the torch represents from one end of Lincoln County to the other.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Fisher said that the Torch Relay is something that fell off for several years.

“I kind of got volunteered to get involved,” Fisher said. “Once I figured out what it was, I actually got really involved.”

Fisher said he now participates in Special Olympic events and fundraisers year round.

“It’s something that I believe in, and it’s something that I put a little bit more of myself into,” he said.

Fisher said that for law enforcement especially, being involved in something like the Special Olympics is a boost.

“A lot of guys I talk to who have been involved have said that it’s been a career saver to them, because of the fact our career is based around so much ugly stuff, that this is kind of like a shining light that can draw you away from all that,” he said.

On April 25, the Lincoln County leg of the relay will start around 7 a.m. at the county line, Fisher said.

The team will carry the torch to Troy by bicycle, where they will meet up with Troy Elementary School students around 9 a.m. in the parking lot near the high school gym.

From there, the team will proceed on foot with the students to Trojan Lanes.

The team will then proceed with the torch to the weigh station on Highway 2, passing the torch to the next team.

That team will carry the torch by bicycle to Libby.

Along the portions of the route follows the highway, Fisher said he is particularly concerned with the public being aware.

Last year, an individual who expressed disapproval of bicycles on the roadway made an attempt with his vehicle to run team members off the road, Fisher said. Having officers already on the scene did not bode well for the driver in question.

While the team tries to avoid making too many traffic issues, Fisher hopes the community can plan ahead and be patient if they are delayed a little by the annual event, he said.

“This is kind of a big deal. This is a world wide organization,” he said.

Once the torch team reaches Libby, they will stop at Simple Simon’s Pizza for photos. From there, runners will proceed with the torch to Les Schwab and then to Town Pump.

Fisher said the stops are picked in part because of the support those business provide to the relay and to the Special Olympics.

At Les Schwab, the relay is joined by participants from Achievements, Fisher said.

Though the final stop for the Libby runners is Happy’s Roadhouse Inn, Fisher said that how the torch gets there will depend some on weather.

If weather is nice enough so as to avoid potential damage to the cars, Fisher said that organizers may try to get the Igniters Car Club to take the torch and some of the Achievements participants out to meet the next team at Happy’s.

But there is no reason that carrying the Special Olympics torch has to end for Lincoln County when it gets handed off, Fisher said. There is the potential for fundraisers and events year round.

Fisher said that he and other law enforcement are looking at trying to organize a Special Olympics Polar Plunge.

Though it is a little late to start fundraising for anyone who would like to get recognized for their participation, Fisher said that he welcomes anyone who would like to get involved to contact him about this and future events.

Deputy Ben Fisher can be reached at 406-291-9442.