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Keweenaw’Äôs Sheriff Lahti leads Torch Run
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Keweenaw County Sheriff Ron Lahti, left, leads the Law Enforcement Torch Run 2000 at its start Monday near the Fanny Hooe
Bridge in Copper Harbor. He is joined by an unidentified special athlete, center, and Richard Mintken of Five Mile Point Road. The 700-mile relay will raise
funds for Special Olympics Michigan.
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COPPER HARBOR ’ÄìKeweenaw County Sheriff Ron Lahti led runners and special athletes as they began the Law Enforcement Torch Run 2000 Monday at the Fanny Hooe Bridge in Copper
Harbor. The annual 700-mile relay from Copper Harbor to Sterling Heights, Mich., (Central
Route) is the featured event of the all-state run, which raised over $360,000 for Special Olympics Michigan in 1999. Planners expect to reach a record-setting $420,000 this year.
Lahti, 40, the sole Copper Country law enforcement runner in the event, reached his goal of running five miles.
"I really think what they do is a good thing," Lahti said, "and I think the people of Keweenaw
County support the Torch Run. I thought the best way to show that we support (Special Olympics) in what they do was to join them."
Lahti said he started seriously training for the run last May.
"I’Äôd run three days a week," he said, "from two to four miles a day. I slowly built myself up to five miles."
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Law enforcement runners and special athletes line up behind Keweenaw County Sheriff Ron Lahti, far left, for the passing of
the torch that began the Law Enforcement Torch Run 2000 in Copper Harbor Monday. About 2000 Michigan law enforcement employees will run 3,000 miles this week
to raise funds for Special Olympics Michigan.
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While the weather cooperated for the beginning of Monday’Äôs relay, which began with sunshine and a cool breeze in Copper Harbor, runners had to cope with pouring rain from Calumet to
Houghton.
Lt. Bill Krul of the St. Clair County Sheriff’Äôs Department has coordinated the Michigan Torch Run for 19 years. Just before the start of the relay at noon Monday, he commented that the
weather was "great" compared to one year when the runners started out in 90-degree heat.
"Today is excellent," he said. "It’Äôs sunny, a little breeze to cool you off; and the temperature is just right for runners."
Krul said he and his co-coordinator, Marine Deputy Bud Fox, also of St. Clair County, would run
as substitutes when needed. He noted the run is timed at about 8 minutes 30 seconds per mile.
In this non-stop marathon, each runner carries a torch which is relayed to the next runner about
every five miles on a continuous basis for 24 hours a day. Highlights include the crossing of the
Mackinac Bridge, the run up the steps of the Capitol in Lansing and the final leg into Sterling Heights. The runners are passing through Marquette and Munising today (Tuesday) and should
arrive in St. Ignace Wednesday at 2:25 p.m., cross the Mackinac Bridge at about 2:30 p.m. and
arrive in Mackinaw City at 3:06 p.m. The Capital Run in Lansing is scheduled for midnight to 1
a.m. Friday, Sept. 15. The runners expect to arrive at their final destination, Sterling Heights, at about 5 p.m. Friday.
At about 6 p.m. Monday, in spite of threatening rain clouds and lightning, a group of Copper Country special athletes waited for a chance to join the runners on the Houghton side of the
Portage Lift Bridge. Waiting with them was their volunteer cheerleading coach, Connie Puckett, 15, of South Range.
"It’Äôs actually a lot of fun," Connie said. "It’Äôs really inspired me to be a teacher."
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As a thunderstorm threatened, special athletes and their families waited patiently Monday evening on the Houghton side of
the Portage Lift Bridge for the arrival of the runners. Pictured here just before the rainstorm are, from left, Buddy Parileenie of Baltic; Diane Puckett of
South Range and her daughter Connie Puckett, 15, kneeling, who coaches special cheerleaders; Jonathon Masters, 14, Mary Kay Masters, 12, and their mom, Gail
Masters of Tamarack City; and Terry Niva of Hancock.
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According to Cindy Pleimling, Special Olympics Michigan Copper Country area coordinator, the
group grew to about 30, including athletes and their families, who waited, getting soaked in the
rain, until the runners, delayed by the thunderstorm, finally crossed the bridge at about 7:20 p.m.
"About ten athletes did the torch exchange with the officers," Pleimling said.
She added the runners, athletes and their families were hosted by the Houghton County Sheriff’Äôs Office at a spaghetti and pizza dinner in the Houghton County Jail.
Three teams of six are participating in the Central Route marathon. They represent the Michigan
State Police, Sheriffs’Äô Deputies and the Sterling Heights Fraternal Order of Police. This week
over 2,000 law enforcement personnel will run a total of 3,000 miles just in Michigan. Besides the three marathon runs, the fund-raiser includes local runs and fitness-related activities.
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Pictured in Copper Harbor in front of one of the Torch Run vans that accompany runners are members of the State Police
team: from left, Lt. John Card of Saginaw; Trooper Deanne Oswald-DeBottis of Brighton, Lt. Ken Bennett of Bay City, Lt. Charlene Reinsch of Paw Paw, Lt. Harry
Partridge of Frankenmuth, Trooper Dawn Zonca of Detroit and Lt. Ken Mills of Alpena.
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Dave Wonch of Marquette, a member of the Department of Corrections supporting travel team.
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Waiting for the relay to start near the Fanny Hooe Bridge in Copper Harbor are, l. to r., Patrolman Howie Lonskey of the
Howell City Police; State Police Lt. Ken Bennett of Bay City, director of Law Enforcement Torch Run 2000; and Sgt. Jim Mulso of the McComb County Sheriff’Äôs
Department.
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Sharice Clifton, special events manager for Special Olympics Michigan in Mt. Pleasant, serves as
a liaison between law enforcement and Special Olympics athletes, some of whom join the relay along the route.
"We have 21,000 athletes in Michigan," Clifton said. "I work with (about 2000) law enforcement employees around the state."
Clifton added the donations have already reached about half of the $420,000 goal.
"It’Äôs a tremendous fund-raiser for us," she said. "This happens not only in the United States. It happens all over the world (in over 100 countries). Michigan is ranked 13th in the world."
The Torch Run funds allow children and adults with mental retardation to participate in the year-round sports and training programs offered by Special Olympics Michigan. Security Link
from Ameritech is the state premier sponsor of the event this year.
Anyone can make a donation to the Michigan Law Enforcement Torch Run at the community runs, or they can send a check made out to "LETR" to Special Olympics Michigan, Central
Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859. For more information on Special Olympics Michigan, check their Web site, or call 1-800-644-6404.
More photos click here.
’Äì Michele Anderson
September 12, 2000
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