Torch Run for Special Olympics passes through Post Falls Tuesday

The Flame of Hope will move through Post Falls at 10 a.m. Tuesday, when the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics passes between Grassland Avenue and Vandal Street on the North Idaho Centennial Trail and near the Post Falls Police Department substation at 1717 E. Polston Ave. in Tedder Business Center.

That stretch of the route gives Kootenai County a clear look at one of Special Olympics Idaho’s biggest public-facing events. Law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes, known as Guardians of the Flame, will carry the torch together as it travels through North Idaho and helps build attention for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The Post Falls leg is part of a relay that will stop in more than 20 Idaho communities. In North Idaho, the route also includes Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint and Rathdrum, extending the Torch Run’s reach beyond one city and into a wider regional network of agencies, athletes and supporters.

Special Olympics Idaho says the Law Enforcement Torch Run is its largest public awareness vehicle and a grassroots fundraiser. The organization also uses year-round events including Polar Plunge, Tip-A-Cop and Baggin for Bucks to raise money and keep attention on its mission of inclusion, health, leadership and community for people with intellectual disabilities.

The relay leads toward the 2026 State Summer Games in Nampa on May 29 and May 30. Events are set for Nampa High School, Skyview High School and Harward Recreation Center, and Special Olympics Idaho says the Flame will keep moving through Idaho until those games begin.

For Post Falls, the run is more than a ceremonial pass-through. It puts officers and athletes on the same trail, in public view, and ties a local morning on the Centennial Trail to a statewide effort that depends on visibility, fundraising and community participation.