For 20 years the Lynchburg Police Department has carried the torch through the Hill City for the Law Enforcement Run for Special Olympics.
More than 2,000 officers across Virginia are involved in running the torch. Chief Ryan Zuidema and several other members of the department laced up their shoes yesterday.
Sgt Bryan Williams has been running it since 2002 and had headed up the effort for LPD for the last 7 years.
The Special Olympics is a cause near and dear to his heart.
"One athlete I got to know actually before I was even involved in Special Olympics. His name is Jacob Finch -- he passed last year," Williams said. "He was at every home game for the football team I played for so I got to know him through that and then found out when I got involved in Special Olympics he was part of that."
Police said the torch run has become the largest grass roots fundraising effort for Special Olympics. Since 1986 the Torch Run has raised more than $21 million for Special Olympics Virginia.
Read the full story from ABC-13 WSET.