NORWAY — The annual Special Olympic Torch Run saw a trifold number participating in the Norway to Paris to Oxford segment of the Bridgton to Brunswick leg of the state-wide run. Norway Police (NPD), Paris Police (PPD), Oxford County Sheriff (OCSO), Maine State Fire Marshall (FMO), PACE and Oxford County Jail (OCJ) all fielded runners – both human and canine, parent and child.

The annual run prior to the commencement of the summer games, supports Special Olympics Maine. The four-day relay run from Sanford to Orono kicked off the opening ceremony of the state Summer Games.

Runners included Dominick Carll, NPD; Andrew Whitney and K-9 Cheeto, FMO; Phil Jones, organizer and BPD; Hosea Jones, 14, BPD; Owen Gendron, BPD; Josh Muise, BPD; Kelcie Gagne, BPD; Grace Gendron, BPD; Mike Ward, PPD; Gary Hill, NPD; Robbie Federico, PPD; Corey Snyder, PACE; Jennifer Birt, PACE; Mac McCormick, OCSO; Alan Coffin, PPD; Dawson Cole, PPD; Holli Smith, NPD; Jeff Campbell, NPD; Belaal Kahn, NPD; Jillian Douglas, PPD; Jeremy Pyburn, NPD; Jacob Paar, OCJ; John Lewis and K-9 BOLO, NPD.

The group ran from the Norway Butters Park area to Paris, around Market Square and on to Oxford where it handed the torch off to Oxford Police runners at Goodwin’s Chevrolet.

Oxford runners were all from the Oxford Police Department as well as one representing the Oxford Fire Department and included: Kaleb Gower, Chief Rickie Jack, Grace Arriaga, Sgt Nate Bowie, Sgt Dan Hastings, Tammy Hastings, Capt Zack Bisson, Michael Rioux, Eric Lowell, George Gardner OFD) and Spencer Teixeira.

The Oxford group ran to The Big Apple in Welchville where it handed off the torch to runners from the Androscoggin Sheriff’s Office.

According to organizers, the torch run is its biggest grassroots fundraising campaign. The goal is to raise $25,000 to support its work of encouraging acceptance and inclusion, especially in athletics.

The Special Olympics state Summer Games will be played Friday, June 6, through Sunday, June 8, at the University of Maine in Orono.