Photo courtesy of Lt. Nick Roberts Participants in Houghton Police Department’s first 5K walk/run event enjoyed a great time during the event on Sept. 6. The first-time charitable fundraiser raised more than $7,000 for Special Olympics.

HOUGHTON – “It was phenomenal.” That is how Houghton City Police Lt. Nick Roberts described Saturday’s 5K walk/run event to raise money the for Special Olympics Michigan Torch Run.

This first-ever event was a special 5K walk/run to fundraise for the Flame of Hope Week to support Special Olympics.

Roberts said Special Olympics had tasked the City of Houghton Police Department with raising $2,500. He was hoping to raise $1,000. Overall, he said, the charitable event raised more than $7,000, including the Thimbleberry jam raffle. “The thimbleberry jam brought in more than $1,500,” he said.

Roberts said this was the first year for this event and while he did not yet have official tallies, between 12 and 30 people registered to participate in the walk/run.

Saturday’s run/walk event was not a race, Roberts said, which is why it was promoted as a fun event. “There were no winners or losers,” he said. “it was a fun run/walk. It wasn’t timed, it was just to support Special Olympics.”

Roberts said considering the circumstances, the event’s success is a tribute to the community, not only participants but the number of businesses who donated prizes.

“We didn’t’ have a year to prepare for this,” he said. “We only had a couple of months for planning, and it did so well.”

The course started at Kestner Waterfront Park, then progressed about a mile and a half, just past the Super 8 Motel, in East Houghton. The participants then returned to Kestner park.

The event started at 10 a.m., Roberts said, and by 12:30, everyone had completed the walk/run.

“Then, we gave all the prizes away, and got the kids involved,” said Roberts. The prizes were donated from local businesses, many of which were pasties.

“The biggest ones were pasties,” Roberts said. “We had lots of pasties.”

Representatives from Special Olympics Michigan, who were at the event told Roberts they would like the Houghton event to be an annual fundraiser, adding the representatives said across Michigan, $7,000 raised was a good total.

In addition to Houghton police officers, there were a number of volunteers who signed up to help with the event. Roberts said he and the volunteers spoke with the participants who said they enjoyed the walk/run and are already anticipating next year’s event.

“For a first time, that was good turnout,” he said. “It was fun, everybody loved it. We had plenty of prizes for everybody, and the weather was nice, other than being windy.”

Roberts said due its popular turnout, it will become an annual event.

The Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run is an annual public awareness and fundraising campaign involving law enforcement officials who carry the “Flame of Hope” to support Special Olympics athletes. It is the single largest grassroots fundraising effort for Special Olympics International. The two main goals of the Law Enforcement Torch Run are to raise funds and create awareness for the athletes who participate in Special Olympics Michigan.