The Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America is making its way through the Denver-metro area along with the Flame of Hope for a single week that began this past Wednesday in Colorado.
In four teams of up to 15, the flame will be carried initially from downtown Denver Friday afternoon then to Red Rocks Amphitheatre later that evening in attempt to raise awareness for the Special Olympics and the 2015 World Summer Games in Los Angeles, which begin July 25-August 2.
Still, hundreds of athletes and Coloradans will join the teams to help promote such an important cause.
Once at Red Rocks, the flame will be ahead of the sold-out Widespread Panic concert for a live telecast at 6:30 p.m. MDT shown on 7news. Colorado has four athletes who will be part of the telecast and will also play in the 2015 Summer Games.
The torch will be in all 50 states as part of its east to west tour to Los Angeles. It first entered the Centennial State in La Junta on Wednesday and will make its way across the state until July 1 where it will leave from Grand Junction to Utah.
Colorado has one of the longest Flame of Hope tours of any state. According to the Denver Post, almost $90,000 has been raised just through the torch run alone.
Although the registration deadline for the event has closed (June 14), those in the area can still do their part by donating any amount either online at www.specialolympicsco.org/give/ or by mail (mailing address listed below). Every dollar that’s raised stays in Colorado and nearly .80 of every dollar directly supports athletes and athlete programming.
Special Olympics Colorado
384 Inverness Parkway, Suite 100
Englewood, CO 80112
Mike Tolbert, a Mile High Sports intern and student at MSU-Denver, contributed to this report