Ashland Officers, Dragons, and Community to Ignite Main Street for Special Olympics Torch Run
ASHLAND, OHIO — Get ready, Ashland! The streets are about to light up with purpose, pride, and community spirit as the Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run blazes its way through town — and you’re invited to cheer it on!
Detective Kara Pearce of the Ashland Police Division put it best: “The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run is upon us once again! Our team is preparing for the great run down Main Street, where we will pick up our local Special Olympic Team, The Ashland County Dragons, at Dairy Queen! From there, we will run together to the corner park at West Main Street and Claremont Avenue.”
And this isn’t just a run — it’s a movement.
Each year, members of the Ashland Police Division, Ashland County Sheriff’s Office, Loudonville Police Department, Ashland Post of the Highway Patrol, and MWCD Rangers join forces for this incredible event, running side by side with Special Olympics athletes to raise funds and awareness. It’s all part of the global Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), the largest grassroots fundraising initiative for the Special Olympics.
Ashland’s run is a highlight of the summer — where badges and brave hearts team up with champions from the Ashland County Dragons. And the community? You’re the heartbeat of it all.
How You Can Help:
Donate: A $30 donation registers a runner, but any amount makes a difference. Funds help the Dragons cover costs for summer competitions and events.
Line the Route: Grab your signs, your friends, and your loudest cheers! Spectators are encouraged to line Main Street from Dairy Queen to the corner park to support these incredible athletes and officers.
Started in Wichita, Kansas in 1981, the LETR has now raised more than $619 million worldwide, involving nearly 97,000 law enforcement professionals in over 45 countries. While similar in symbolism to the Olympic Torch Relay, LETR’s Flame of Hope represents not just athletic excellence, but inclusion, courage, and the celebration of abilities over disabilities.
From local foot patrols to the international stage, LETR culminates every two years at the Special Olympics World Games with the Final Leg Run, where the Flame of Hope is carried by law enforcement and athletes across the host country, ending in a breathtaking lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremonies.
Ashland’s torch run may span only a few blocks — but its impact stretches across hearts, homes, and horizons.
Want to donate or join in? Reach out to your local law enforcement agency or stop by during the run. Be part of something bigger. Be part of the Flame of Hope.
Let’s run together, Ashland — for strength, for joy, for the Dragons!
Note: Photo’s from previous years!
