Jeff Cook, a patrol supervisor with the O’Fallon Police Dept., was selected as Missouri’s representative for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg. Cook will be providing updates on his adventures in Los Angeles as part of the Final Leg.
Day 3 / Stop 1
Breakfast at the dining hall followed by a great run through downtown to the State Capitol. What a great turnout and representation by the Governor, Lt Governor, Commander Highway Patrol and several other dignitaries. This was a great kickoff event. The Final Leg advance team did a great job to start the ball rolling. Next stop lake Tahoe!
Day 3 / Stop 2 – Lake Tahoe
A great ride out to Lake Tahoe and a fantastic reception by the Governor of Nevada, LT Gov., Police Chief, Sheriff and local residents and athletes.
We came in loud and proud leaving our mark in Tahoe.
Day 4 /
Stop 1 – Davis CA
Stop 2 – Fairfield CA
Stop 3 – Napa CA
Stop 4 – Vallejo CA
Stop 5 – Pleasant Hill CA
Great start to the day in Davis at a small ceremony at a Bank of America location. We moved on to Fairfield and then Napa. In Fairfield, our Italian athlete, Gracciano, gave a moving speech in Italian that showed his passion and heart as his voice quivered and eyes watered. A language I did not understand still left many of us glassy eyed, myself included.
The city and scenery in Napa was as nice as expected. We saw a great Mexican dance presentation on our stage at the riverfront. The hilly port city of Vallejo was another great stop with good media coverage and a great view.
The teams all came together for our last stop in Pleasant Hill. 124 strong loudly belted out our cadence as we made our way to a large reception and ceremony. A splendid turnout by the people of Northern California. The pictures will barely do it justice.
Dinner at Fredo’s Italian Restaurant was magnificent. A very long and eventful day comes to a close. The Torch Run did its job and spread the word.
Special Olympics Missouri 