Special Olympics of Ohio kicked off its Summer Games yesterday with energetic opening ceremonies at Ohio Stadium. The event included the lighting of the torch, which was escorted in by the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Dedicated officers and deputies have been ushering the torch on its journey across the state and have raised nearly $100,000 for Special Olympics along the way!
As you can see, we got to connect with many Starfish friends! We were there with Marion Police Lieutenant Mark Elliott, his daughter Mckenna, and K-9 Ranger as they greeted athletes, handed out Ranger's card, answered questions, and posed for photos. The athletes from Marion County were thrilled to see a K-9 team from their home area and crowded around Lt. Elliott and Ranger to choruses of "Thank you for coming to see us!"
Ranger was incredibly popular and did an amazing job. After hours of walking around in the heat, all the humans were tired, but he was still energized. It's safe to say he had as good a time as the athletes did. Such a good boy!
We'll have more photos from the Summer Games. We're partnering with Special Olympics of Ohio to invite officers and deputies to hand out medals and interact with the athletes, so stay tuned for more fun and smiles.
