POUGHKEEPSIE – Law enforcement officers from all over New York converged on the Poughkeepsie Train Station Friday evening to pay tribute to fallen City of Poughkeepsie Police Detective John Falcone and bring the Special Olympics Summer Games Torch to the opening ceremonies at Vassar College in the Town of Poughkeepsie.
Retired Town of Poughkeepsie Police Officer Chris Hamel, for the 29th year, has helped carry the Special Olympics Torch in the Law Enforcement Torch Run. He said law enforcement plays a critical role in the Special Olympics.
“We’re the guardians of the flame,” Hamel said “We take care of the Special Olympics athletes, not that their families and everyone else don’t; we became the grassroots initiative for them. We help them light the caldron for the games. We are family.”
The torch run also helps raise money for Special Olympics and the run raised more than $1 million in 2018.
The final leg of the torch run started at the Poughkeepsie Train Station near the monument marking the spot where Detective Falcone was shot and killed in the line of duty.
Hamel noted Falcone had carried the torch on several occasions and he couldn’t think of a better starting point than on the hallowed ground. As Hamel briefed the dozens of law enforcement runners prior to the start he said, “I think if John was with us today, he’d be very happy that we’re running this torch together.”
Special Olympics athlete Paul Asaro from Eastchester had made a request to Hamel months ago, after returning from the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia. Asaro had raised $10,000 prior to the World Games for a torch that he could carry in the Middle East.
He asked Hamel if his torch could be used on the last leg. Hamel said it was impossible to say no to the request. Hamel told the gathered runners that, until Poughkeepsie, Asaro’s torch had never been lit in the United States.
Asaro is an accomplished runner who told his running mates that he is capable of running a half-marathon, 13.1 miles, in 52 minutes. After receiving a loud round of applause he said “don’t worry, I won’t run too fast tonight.” The Westchester County resident will be competing in track and field events this weekend, running in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter races.
Shortly after the briefing by Hamel, a Special Olympian and her police escort completed their run from Ulster County, and the arriving torch was used to ignite Asaro’s beacon, signaling the start of the last leg of the run.
Escorted by motorcycles from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, runners left the train station, running up Main Street to the eastbound arterial, continuing to Raymond Avenue where they ran south until entering the gates of Vassar College to light the main torch signaling the start of the New York Special Olympics Summer Games.
Opening ceremonies were held following the torch run (Video: Action News Service)
