The City of Yakima will be among the last stops for a torch run leading to the start of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle from July 1st through July 6th.
An estimated 30 runners will escort the torch in Yakima on Wednesday, June 27th. Their one-mile run will begin at 2:05 pm at 5th Avenue and Spruce Street. From there they will proceed north on 5th Avenue to Walnut Street. They will run east on Walnut Street, then proceed north on 3rd Street. The run will conclude at Millennium Plaza at 2:15 pm.
Officer Noah Johnson of the Yakima Police Department said the City’s Traffic Division will provide a “rolling street closure.” Officers will accompany the torch contingent, closing intersections temporarily to allow runners to pass through each one.
A brief ceremony is planned at Millennium Plaza at 2:15 pm on Wednesday, June 27th. Two participants from the torch run group will provide a few remarks. A small gift exchange with representatives from the City of Yakima is also planned.
The torch run contingent will then head to the Dick Zais Jr. Law and Justice Center, where a bus will take them to Ellensburg for the run’s next leg.
Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus is coordinating the torch runs in Eastern Washington. He said runners will include athletes from the Special Olympics, as well as law enforcement officers from around the state.
“Yakima has been on our radar for at least the last year,” Asmus said. “It’s based on the Yakima Police Department’s involvement and support of Special Olympics Washington.”
Organizers of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games anticipate more than 4,000 athletes from around the United States competing in 14 different sports.
The Seattle games’ opening ceremony is 12:30 pm on Sunday, July 1st at Husky Stadium.
Visit https://www.specialolympicsusagames.org/ for more about the 2018 games.