A series of public safety agencies recently carried the Special Olympics torch through Santa Cruz County en route to the Summer Games as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Shaun Saffen, a Santa Cruz resident who’s one of the athlete leaders for Special Olympics Northern California, was pleased to see the Flame of Hope head from the Hilton in Scotts Valley to one of the firehouses in the steamy weather on June 27.
“It’s one of the biggest fundraisers of the year,” he said.
Matthew Freeman, another athlete leader, explained they had started from Watsonville earlier in the day.
“It’s a big honor,” the bocce coach said of getting to participate in the Special Olympics Summer Games. “It’s really hard.”
He’s been leading training sessions for the sport at Skypark this year.
“Just remember, bend your knees and roll the ball,” he tells them. “And have fun.”
Unfortunately, they got rained out a couple times this year.
Councilmember Donna Lind said the first Torch Run in Scotts Valley was in 1997.
“It’s a cool thing,” she said.
John Hohmann, a retired Scotts Valley Police Department lieutenant who is now a reserve officer, took over management of the event back in 2007.
“Everything we do is for the athletes,” he said.
During this year’s run, the torch started with Watsonville Police Department; it was passed to California Highway Patrol, State Parks, Capitola Police, the Sheriff’s Office, Santa Cruz Police, the District Attorney’s Office and Probation Department before Scotts Valley Police received it.
“It runs pretty smooth,” Hohmann said.
The runners this year were: SVPD officer Nick Stoeberl, SVPD explorer Jacob Brazil, retired officer Shea Johnson and Togo’s Sandwiches owner Greg Wimp.
“I love the heat,” Johnson said, who now works as a civilian analyst. “I run normally.”
Johnson is also training for the Wharf to Wharf race, which is held on the fourth Sunday in July.
“It’s for a really great cause,” she said of the drive to support Special Olympics, commending her fellow runners. “These guys are all awesome.”
Stoeberl actually spent the prior night working the graveyard shift. Yet, even after the run, you would never have guessed.
