Early in the morning on June 11th more than 3,000 officers took to the streets of their local communities on one of 26 separate routes to help carry the “Flame of Hope” a distance of nearly 750 miles throughout the Garden State to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics New Jersey. Members of the Merchantville and Pennsauken Police departments participated in the New jersey Torch Run event along Park Avenue, Centre Street and Maple Avenue. During a moving ceremony in Athens, Greece the "Flame of Hope" torch was lit by the rays of the sun as the first part of its journey to the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi in 2019.