"By participating in the Torch Run, the recruits will learn that being a police officer is not just about enforcing laws; it is also about building strong communities," said First Lieutenant John Card, MSP Bay City Post commander and Central Route Coordinator.

The recruits will begin their portion of the Torch Run at the east entrance of the State Capitol. The runners will proceed five miles east along Michigan and Grand River Avenues ending in the parking lot of the Coral Gables Restaurant in East Lansing.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run ^â for Special Olympics is an international series of relay runs by law enforcement and corrections officers to support the Special Olympics. Since it began in 1981, the Torch Run has raised more than $185 million.

Michigan's Central Route is a non-stop, 750-mile relay beginning Sept. 8 in Copper Harbor and ending Sept. 12 in Sterling Heights. The Central Route team is comprised of runners from the MSP, Fraternal Order of Police and Michigan Department of Corrections.

This year's MSP team includes: First Lieutenant John Card, Bay City Post; Sergeant Kevin Sweeney, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division; Trooper Lizabeth Hunt, Bay City Post; Trooper Craig Felix, Brighton Post; and Trooper Carissa Schneider, Lansing Post.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
First Lieutenant John Card, Bay City Post, (989) 233-0370, Law Enforcement Torch Run
First Lieutenant Mike Krumm, MSP Training Academy, (517) 322-5599, 121st Trooper Recruit School