VERNON, New Jersey ??” Mountain Creek is pleased to announce that it has again partnered with the Vernon Township Police Department to serve as the starting point for the 22nd Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics of New Jersey, and made a substantial donation to their fundraising efforts. This year about a dozen members of the department will participate in the run along with several local Special Olympic athletes, and hope to again contribute a few thousand dollars to the effort. If you would like to donate, please call Patrolman Jason Haw at the Vernon PD at 973-827-6155. The run begins at 6:00am at the Mountain Creek parking lot on Friday morning, June 3, 2005 and the Vernon P.D will carry the torch down Route 94 South to the town line where they will hand it off to the Hardyston Police.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is Special Olympics’ largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle, raising more than $20.5 million for Special Olympics Programs around the world in 2004. More than 85,000 law enforcement officers carried the Flame of Hope across 35 nations, and thousands more supported the runners’ efforts through “Adopt-A-Cop” runner sponsorships, corporate sponsorships and Torch Run T-shirts (more than 400,000 sold) and other merchandise sales. The New Jersey Law Enforcement Officers have been recognized as Number One in the world in fundraising dollars for 2002, 2003 and 2004…and are committed to continuing that tradition.

At its most basic level, the Torch Run is an actual running event in which officers and athletes run the “Flame of Hope” to the Opening Ceremonies of local Special Olympics competitions, state/provincial Games, and National Summer or Winter Games.