Tilton police chief carrying flame of hope into special olympics games in LA

TILTON — On May 14th, the Flame of Hope, the official torch for the Special Olympics World Games LosAngeles 2015, was lit at the Sacred Site of Pnyx, opposite the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, formally beginning its journey to the World Games. In keeping with Olympic tradition and custom dating back to the Ancient Greeks, the torch will be lit by the sun's rays, and will remain lit until the end of the Games on August 2.

Chief Robert Cormier of Tilton will serve as a Guardian of the Flame of Hope and participate in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg, the last journey of the flame throughout the state of California. Cormier has been selected by the Law Enforcement Torch Run and Special Olympics New Hampshire to be one of the 126 Final Leg Team members. Law enforcement personnel are selected for this honor by their local Torch Run and Special Olympics program for their dedication and commitment to the Special Olympics movement.

After the official lighting, the flame began its journey through all 50 states and the District of Columbia as a part of the historic Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America. At the conclusion of the Unified Relay, the Flame of Hope was handed over to the 2015 Los Angeles Final Leg Team, where it will travel beginning on Monday, July 13 to more than 125 cities and towns throughout California, honoring the spirit of the Special Olympics global movement and delivering a message of hope to communities where people with intellectual disabilities continue to fight for acceptance and inclusion. At each stop, the flame will be carried by teams of law enforcement personnel and Special Olympics athletes representing 48 states and 23 countries around the world, on a course allowing thousands of spectators to witness its important journey.

"The Flame of Hope's journey is symbolic of our global mission to deliver inspiration and hope to Special Olympics athletes and their families, break down barriers to equality that still exist, and create awareness for social change worldwide," said Janet Froetscher CEO of Special Olympics, who participated in the official lighting ceremony in Greece on May 14th.

The Flame of Hope will complete its journey on July 25 when the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg team carries it into the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 World Games, and it ignites the cauldron at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics Opening Ceremony.