Just as the sun broke through the morning fog on Wednesday, the “Flame of Hope” from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Mission Hills Division was handed to the team of runners that included the San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) and the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD), who began their 2.5-mile run through the city.
The runners first assembled outside O’Melveny Elementary School, where each year, around a hundred students gather and chant “USA, USA, USA” as they carry the torch for the 2026 Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR).
It’s been a tradition each year for students from O’Melveny to come out to cheer on the runners, but for the first time this year, students from San Fernando Elementary and the Middle School also held up signs and joined in the chants of support.
The occasional siren would blare out from police cars driving in front of the runners, drawing the attention of passersby, music played to motivate them, including the iconic theme song from “Rocky.”
Gerardo De La Cerda, 38, is a Special Olympics athlete who has carried the torch for the SFPD since 2017. He has a condition called hyperammonemia, characterized by an excess of ammonia in the blood, resulting in a host of medical issues that caused brain damage when he was an infant.
He was also diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year and had to lose a bunch of weight to prepare for this year.
But joining the SFPD for the annual run has always been special to De La Cerda, especially after seeing the extra support from students this year.
“It gives me more motivation and makes me feel more proud,” De La Cerda said, who will be playing basketball in the Summer Games.
“Having all the officers here, supporting me throughout the years and every season I competed in the Special Olympics, [also] makes me more motivated.”
“We couldn’t do it without the officers,” his mother, Terri De La Cerda, added. “They’ve been amazing. He doesn’t have to pay for anything, and they help fund all the different competitions. … It’s helped him with his inner strength. They are all like a family. The Special Olympics is the best organization. I know he wouldn’t be where he is today without them.”
SFPD Commander Brian Woodward has been part of the run for four years, but this was his first time leading the team. The runners included three SFPD officers, three dispatchers, two parking enforcement officers, 10 LASPD officers and two middle school track and field runners – one of whom is the granddaughter of the owner of Professional Printers, which donated banners promoting the event, while the other is the sister of one of the dispatchers.
Woodward said that this event is important to him as he and his family have worked for years for people with special needs. His mother was an educator for developmentally disabled adults, and his sister was an assistant coach for the Special Olympics basketball team a few years ago.
“My family has always been involved in working in that capacity with those with developmental disabilities, so it is very close to my heart,” Woodward said. “I do enjoy running with Gerardo and sharing the torch with him in this experience.”
The runners went through the San Fernando Mall after a quick detour to the SFPD station, then handed off the torch to the LAPD Foothill Division outside the Rydell car dealership, sending the torch on the next jaunt of its journey.
Each department that participates runs at least 2 miles within their community with the Flame of Hope before passing it off to the next department.
This annual event is the largest grassroots fundraiser for the Special Olympics, with hundreds of police officers across the country joining in to raise public awareness and raise donations for athletes.
The run across LA County began on June 1 and will continue until Friday, June 5, ending at California State University, Long Beach, for the Summer Games.
The SFPD has raised just over $1,000, but is still collecting donations. If you want to donate, go to https://torchrun2026.raiselysite.com/eo/t/brian-woodward-team-agency.