Albany Police, Local Athletes Take Part in Special Olympics Torch Run

Four local police officers and two Special Olympics athletes, along with two other supporters, took part in Tuesday's annual Northern California Law Enforcement Torch Run, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Summer Games to be held later this month in Davis.

The group traveled about a mile along San Pablo Avenue, starting at Dartmouth Street—where they received the “Flame of Hope” from Berkeley police officers—and ending at the southern border of El Cerrito.

Special Olympics athletes Joshua Winbush and Samantha Corriea, both graduates of , accompanied police on the run.

Winbush, a 24-year-old Albany resident, has competed in the Special Olympics for almost six years, and later this month he will compete in swimming at the Summer Games in Davis.

This is the  Winbush—who also runs track—has participated in the Torch Run fundraiser. He said he enjoys running with the officers.

"They can keep a good pace," Winbush said laughing. "It's fine by me."

Tuesday was also the second time officer Michael Gibson of the  participated in the event.

"It's just a great way to help the Special Olympics raise the money that the athletes need to compete," he said.

At the northern border of Albany, Gibson and two Albany police officers—Lt. Dan Adams and Lt. John Geissberger—along with Cpl. Sean Aranas from the UC Berkeley Police Department, delivered the torch to El Cerrito police.

With six officers on foot, five on bikes, and two on motorcycles, the El Cerrito police traveled with Winbush and Corriea to the city of San Pablo, where they passed the torch to Richmond Police officers.

Lt. Steve Bonini of the rode his motorcycle on Tuesday, but Bonini said he has run and biked in the annual event since 1999.

“I was a new officer at the time, and it seemed like a good charity to get involved in,” Bonini said.

The Northern California Law Enforcement Torch Run is a series of relays that began June 8 and will end June 22 in Davis, CA, at the opening ceremonies of this year's Special Olympics Summer Games. More than 900 athletes and volunteer coaches will convene at UC Davis for the event, which involves competitions in aquatics, bocce, tennis and track and field. 

The Northern California event is one of many law enforcement torch runs held in 50 states and 35 foreign countries, according to the Special Olympics Northern California website.

The Torch Run began in Wichita, KS, in 1981, and since then more than $100 million has been raised worldwide, according to the website.

To make your own donation, visit the Special Olympics Northern California donations page.

If there's something in this article you think , or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email at albany@patch.com.