Run with JCF on July 16 for Special Olympics

Members of the public are being encouraged to support the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Law Enforcement Torch (LET) Run, which takes place on Sunday (July 16) starting at the Police Officers’ Club in St. Andrew.

The JCF is using the 5K race to raise $3 million for Special Olympics Jamaica.

The team participated in the Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, from June 17 to 25, coming home with 18 medals, comprising eight gold, eight silver and two bronze.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Stephanie Lindsay, told JIS News that the JCF is hoping that at least 2,000 persons will sign up for the 5K event.

Registration can be done online at runningeventsja.com, or by visiting the Police Officers’ Club on July 13 and 14.

“We are trying to see how close we can get to that number. It’s $2,000 for adults and $1,000 for children. It is similar to other 5K races where you will win medals and prizes for those who do it competitively,” said SSP Lindsay, who is Head of the JCF’s Corporate Communications Unit.

She said that persons can also support the cause by making donations.

“Persons can make pledges, they can make donations, they can make cheques payable to the Law Enforcement Torch Run, or they can make it payable to Special Olympics Jamaica or drop it off at a police station,” she pointed out.

Those in the diaspora can contribute via runningeventsja.com.

Sunday’s 5k starts at 6:00 a.m. and persons are advised to get to the Police Officers’ Club early to participate in a warmup session at approximately 5:30 a.m.

“We encourage persons to come out to run, walk or wheelchair on Sunday, or just to come out and be a cheerleader,” SSP Lindsay said.

Returning after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual LET Run is the biggest fundraiser for Special Olympics Jamaica.

The event got under way on June 16 with members of the JCF taking the torch or the Flame of Hope across the country.

At various stops, persons are encouraged to support the cause by placing funds in the donation cans provided.

On July 12, the torch was in the Kingston Central police area and on July 13, it will make its way to Barbican, Manor Park and Constant Spring.

The torch is symbolic of the spirit of the athletes, and the law-enforcement community members are regarded as the guardians of the flame.

The LET Run is a global organisation comprising law-enforcement officers worldwide and is the biggest fundraising activity for Special Olympics globally.

Started in 1981 in the United States (US), Jamaica became the first country outside of the US to join the movement in 1986.

The local initiative now comprises the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Jamaica Customs, Department of Correctional Services (DCS), the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) and the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).