The Garda Siochana and the RUC joined in Belfast yesterday to pledge their support for the Special Olympics.
The event was attended by the Assistant Garda Commissioner, Mr Kevin Carthy, the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the Stormont Minister for agriculture and environment, Lord Dubs, and the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Dr David Alderdice. Members of both forces as well as Special Olympics athletes and prominent sportsmen will take part in a 10-day torch run throughout Ireland to raise awareness of the plight of people with learning difficulties and to gather money for their worldwide sports programmes. The Special Olympics Torch Run was started in the US in 1985 and has attracted the support of police forces from all over the world.
The run, sponsored by Telecom Eireann, will start on June 8th and cover 1,100 miles, with gardai running a Southern route through the Republic and members of the RUC covering the North.
Dublin will be the starting point for both teams. The two groups will then head in separate directions around Ireland and reunite in Mullingar on June 17th for the final leg to Dublin.
A representative of both forces will then travel to North Carolina to take part in the opening ceremony of this summer's Special Olympics World Games. "This is the second occasion on which we have participated in the Special Olympics Torch Run with our colleagues from the RUC. On that occasion, in 1996, we raised in excess of £140,000 to fund projects for Special Olympics," said Mr Carthy.
"These experiences have been most gratifying and a unique opportunity to help those athletes with learning disabilities to show their full potential in the sporting arena,"
Sir Ronnie added: "Once again we are absolutely delighted to be involved in this most unique event. It gives us an opportunity to team up with our colleagues in the Garda Siochana, to run around Ireland, to renew friendships and to raise funds for all those involved with Special Olympics. It is a challenging task but one we in the Royal Ulster Constabulary are looking forward to."
This year's fund-raising target by the two forces is £200,000.
Mr Alfie Kane, the chief executive of Telecom Eireann, said his company was delighted to continue its involvement with Special Olympics Ireland which it had sponsored for the past 14 years.