With an enthusiastic grin a mile wide, Betty Coleman runs toward the camera with a cardboard torch and says, 鈥業鈥檓 Betty Coleman from Chilliwack and I鈥檓 passing the torch to you!鈥�

The whole thing takes no more than 10 seconds, but Betty has just provided one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Her clip will be combined with many more just like it in a video collage, showing torches being passed across the province virtually where they would normally be passed physically.

The 30th Law Enforcement Torch Run in support of Special Olympics will look and feel different, but RCMP spokesperson Krista Vrolyk believes the spirit of the event remains.

鈥淣ormally we all gather at Sardis secondary school and we run together 鈥� police officers, Special Olympics athletes and other supporters 鈥� we run along Vedder road and we finish at the Pacific Region Training Centre where we showcase our local athletes and celebrate our partnership.

鈥淩unning side-by-side with the athletes is an event that we (RCMP) look forward to every year, and I know it鈥檚 a highlight for the athletes as well. But because of the pandemic we鈥檝e had to change things up.鈥�

Coleman is all-in on the torch run, no matter what form it takes.

She competes in a long list of Special Olympics sports including bowling (her favourite), bocce ball, swimming, club fit and family fitness.

A lot of what she does might not be possible without the funding that is generated by the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which pays for things like transportation, uniforms and facility rentals.

鈥淭he RCMP helps us out a lot,鈥� Coleman says. 鈥淭he torch run is awesome. I鈥檝e never been able to hold the torch before, but it鈥檚 been really cool watching Derek (Trainor) do it last year was cool.

鈥淲hen they asked me to do it this year, I was like, 鈥業t鈥檚 awesome! It鈥檚 so cool!鈥欌��

Doing it virtually instead of physically isn鈥檛 what Coleman had in mind, but she鈥檚 the type of person who sees the upside in any scenario.

鈥淚t鈥檚 different, but we鈥檒l be getting more funds this year because some people are donating by the kilometre (for each km athletes run on their own), and some people are just donating,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e raised $300.鈥�

Vrolyk said the Law Enforcement Torch Run, virtual edition, has raised $30,000 so far across B.C. and there is still time to donate.

For more info see

eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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