The Law Enforcement Torch Run has supported the Special Olympics for over 30 years. 

In Vestal, local law enforcement agencies including New York State University Police at Binghamton, Johnson City Police Department, and Vestal Police Department continued the tradition alongside the athletes. 

"It just kind of gets everyone together, brings awareness to Special Olympics New York, and sheds some good positive light on the athletes and what they're doing," Investigator for New York State University Police at Binghamton Brian Vadervort said. 

There are over 45,000 Special Olympics athletes throughout New York. The 1.26-mile run throughout Vestal raised over 12,000 dollars supporting the organization, including helping athletes out with equipment costs.

"This organization has been very important to me and it's made a huge change in my life," Special Olympics New York Athlete Omar Varry said. "Just before before I even joined Special Olympics, I didn't even know what was I going to do for the rest of my life."

Varry says these trips motivate and inspire him when it comes to his cross-country and track-and-field races. 

Hosting these events year in and year out, the run is more than just raising money for law enforcement members.  

When you have couples relationships, they become really their friends," Vandervort said. "So when you get to put a smile on their face and you get to see directly where the funding goes and how it's helping them with all the events and all the things that they participate in, that's really, you know, why we do it."