FARMINGTON —  About 30 federal, state, county and local officers took turns carrying the torch along the 32-mile trek to Skowhegan Thursday to raise funds for Special Olympics Maine. 

The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run will continue on to Orono for the start of the Special Olympics on Friday night, event organizer Sgt. Mathew Casavant of the Maine State Police  said.

Officers in Skowhegan will make the run to Newport. From there, others will carry the torch to Orono for this weekend’s statewide summer games at the University of Maine.

Two to six officers will complete legs of the run, retired state police Lt. Don Pomerlow, said. 

Others ran with the officers but only officers carried the torch, because “we’re the guardians of the flame,” Casavant previously said.

Again this year, members of Work Opportunities Unlimited of Farmington gathered to cheer the officers on and three, Garrett Vogel, Christopher Bourgoin and Jodi Sincyr, decided to try running with them.  

The group dedicated this year’s run to their friend, the late Reginald Marcoux of Farmington, who was with them last year to watch the officers run the first portion of the run.

The relay began at 8 a.m. at the Mt. Blue Shopping Plaza in Farmington and ended at the state police barracks in Skowhegan, about a four-hour jog.

Construction issues along Route 2 necessitated some extra consideration, but otherwise the run was well under control, Casavant said. Fundraising was also going well this year.

Almost 30 area businesses had also participated in the run’s Adopt a Sign program. The business donates $100 and the sign is posted along the run route.

A large group of officers and some family members started out from the Mt. Blue Shopping Center for the first 3-mile leg along Routes 2 and 4 to the town office. There other officers planned to take over. 

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