Goochland deputies join Torch Run for Special Olympics Virginia

Deputies from the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office laced up for a Friday morning Law Enforcement Torch Run, joining Special Olympics Virginia athletes and supporters in a local show of backing that tied county public safety to a statewide fund-raiser.

The Torch Run is not just a ceremonial jog. Special Olympics Virginia says the annual relay stretches 1,900 miles across the commonwealth over eight days, with more than 2,000 law-enforcement officers and personnel carrying the Flame of Hope before it reaches Richmond, where the cauldron is lit to open the Summer Games. The campaign is also a major source of support, bringing in more than a million dollars each year for the program.

For Goochland, the connection runs through Special Olympics Virginia Area 6 in the James River Region, which also includes Amelia, Chesterfield, New Kent and Powhatan counties. The county’s presence in that network is visible in the athletes and students already tied to the program: Ailey Black, a Goochland High School student and Unified Partner in track and field; Conner Emmert, a 2025 Goochland High School graduate who competes year-round in bocce, bowling, track and field, basketball and golf; Dymontrie Hopkins, a Goochland High School student-athlete who has competed for six years; Destiny Brent, a Goochland High School senior who competes in track and bowling; and Sam Farkas, a student from Crozier who competes in track and field and Unified bowling.

That local roster gives the Torch Run a concrete payoff in Goochland. The event spotlighted a program that reaches students and families through sports, but also through inclusion. Special Olympics Virginia says its Unified Champion Schools program is designed to promote social inclusion and help create welcoming school climates, making the county’s connection to the organization bigger than one morning’s photo opportunity.

The law-enforcement role matters because it extends the message beyond symbolism. Deputies were not only supporting athletes from the sideline; they were helping carry a fundraising and awareness effort that links Goochland to a statewide network of schools, families and competitors. In a county where community trust is built through daily contact as much as emergency response, the Torch Run gave the sheriff’s office a visible role in a cause that directly supports local athletes and the broader Special Olympics Virginia mission.