Middletown Township Local 147 members ran alongside Dave Ferrell as he
pushed his son Blake in his wheelchair through two legs of the Law Enforce-
ment Torch Run.
Runners from Somerville Local 147 and Somerset County Prosecutors Office
Local 307 stopped traffic to carry the torch down Main Street in Somerville.
ON THE ROAD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55
Local 124’s seven officers needed to climb multiple hills along
their journey while keeping pace with the duo.
“That’s what gets you,” stated Dellatacoma, who rode in the
support vehicle in front of the runners to help stop traffic along
the way. “It gives me goosebumps seeing the guys running next
to him and his son and the awareness they are building along
the way.”
On June 9, more than 3,000 officers from across the state
jogged through neighborhoods, across highways and town
centers to raise awareness for the Special Olympics. As patrol
bikes and cars cruised through Main Street in Somerville with
lights flashing to block off intersections and cross streets, “fans”
emerged from office buildings and storefronts to get a closer
look at the action. Some snapped pictures while others cheered
on the group of officers who jogged alongside the runner car-
rying the torch.
Vittorio Spedea of Somerville Local 147 decided it was im-
portant for onlookers to understand the cause that the flame
represents and the reason these officers were carrying it
through their town.
“While I’m going down Main Street, I’m announcing why
they’re running for the Special Olympics, just so they have an
idea of why all of a sudden traffic is stopped from a bunch of
guys running behind a police car,” Spedea explained. “You let
people know what the cause is and they actually get to see the
56
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ JULY 2017
Raritan Township Local 337 members ran 16 miles on one of the final legs of
the Torch Run to the Special Olympic New Jersey Summer Games Opening
Ceremony in Ewing Township.
burning torch passing by, and it builds awareness.”
When community members learn about the 2,500 Special
Olympic athletes who are able to participate in the SONJ Sum-
mer Games without having to cover any cost, many are inspired
to donate and give back as well. This was the case for a local
construction worker in Somerville who decided that he wanted
to make a large donation and run alongside officers from Local
147 and Somerset County Prosecutors Office Local 307.
“This is a law enforcement event, but when you get people
supporting the cause outside of the police force who want to
make that commitment and run, that’s special too,” Spedea
clarified.
While the group of officers took turns carrying the torch on
the route to Hillsborough, Spedea continued to spread the
word to the community, sharing that the passing of the flame
throughout 26 legs of the run represents the unity of law en-
forcement along the journey to kick off the SONJ 2017 Summer
Games.
May hours and many miles later, torches from around New
Jersey began to arrive to the stadium at TCNJ. A path of uni-
formed officers took shape from the entrance of the stadium
where thousands of Special Olympic athletes were welcomed
and cheered by the heroes of their communities.
One of the officers in uniform who hugged and high-fived
the athletes as they passed was NJ State PBA Special Olym-
pics Liaison Meg Hammond. Her uniform represented Raritan
Township Local 337, but earlier that day she matched all of
law enforcement as she wore the blue Special Olympics T-shirt
during the 16-mile route of Leg 17b. Hammond has participat-
ed in so many Torch Runs that the only way to find out the ex-
act number may be to count the T-shirts from each year that
make up the a bulk of her wardrobe.
“About half of my closet is Torch Run,” she specified. “I’ve
run it at least a dozen times. Just to be able to represent your
agency for a greater cause such as Special Olympics is what it’s
all about.”
Hammond is one of the PBA members who is involved with
the Law Enforcement Torch Run on pretty much every level.
From conceptualizing the running routes to the stadium with
the Law Enforcement Torch Run Committee months in ad-
vance, to actually being in Hackettstown the morning of June 9
to fill the “Torch of Hope” with lighter fluid for the departure of
leg 17a, Hammond puts her brains and legs behind the event.