Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run travels through Sanders County on way to Billings

Special Olympics athletes, riders on horseback and runners helped carry the torch through Sanders County on Saturday, starting near the Idaho border and ending just outside of Plains.

The event, organized by the Sanders County Sheriffs Department, serves as a fundraiser, a recruitment tool for athletes and to raise awareness for Special Olympics.

Approximately 30 to 40 individuals carried a variety of torches, some lit and some reproductions, over 77 miles across Sanders County aided by a Sheriffs Department escort.

The torch run began near the state border with Idaho, carried aloft by riders on horseback. Additional riders were staged along Highway 200, handing off the replica torch to the next bearer and continuing along at a gallop pace.

As the torchbearers neared Thompson Falls around 1:30 p.m., they were joined by about a dozen more riders as they proceeded in formation to the Thompson Falls Rural Fire Department headquarters. There they dismounted and enjoyed a barbeque lunch of burgers and hotdogs prepared by members of the Rural Fire Department.

The replica was exchanged for a lit torch for the run into Thompson Falls as John and Robert Epperson carried the flaming icon into town.

A replica torch was then handed off to members of Thompson Falls’ very own Special Olympics athletic team, the Superhawks. Athletes paraded down Main Street, waving to bystanders and holding the torch high for all to see.

The next leg of the journey was conducted by a combination of bicyclists and runners. Athletes, again protected from traffic by police escort, made the approximately 25 mile trek from Thompson Falls to Plains in about three hours arriving around 5:30 p.m.

The torch was again handed off to Special Olympics athletes, this time those from the Little Bitterroot team for the parade through Plains. About a dozen participants made their way down highway 200, waving to onlookers before concluding the Sanders County Torch Run leg just outside of Plains.

Law Enforcement Torch Run Leg Leader April Phillips said the event was a success for all involved.

“The torch run went very smoothly. I thank all of the participants and volunteers. They did an absolutely fabulous job,” said Phillips.

The proceeds from the event will benefit Montana Special Olympics. The torch, known as the “Flame of Hope,” will travel over 2,400 miles before arriving in Billings on May 15 for the State Summer Games Opening Ceremonies.