Law enforcement officials from throughout Northern California gathered Wednesday in Ceres to attend a kickoff event for the 2026 series of Law Enforcement Torch Runs.
Special Olympics of Northern California held the event to gin up enthusiasm as well as give helpful information to officers and officials who will be conducting the runs this year.
Josh Lachs, Special Olympics Northern California Chief Development Officer, drove from the east Bay area to attend the Ceres event and spoke about the importance of his organization. Lachs relayed his first experience attending the Special Olympics Games in Santa Clara last summer.
“It was absolutely – and I don’t use this word lightly – absolutely magical and completely joyful to see really the magic being made,” said Lachs. ”It was just incredible. And to see all of you and your colleagues in your community be that touched and that connected to our work, and watch the athletes come out of the delegation, was there were no words, actually.”
Special Olympics extend beyond holding annual summer athletic games, Lachs said. The organization offers health and wellness programs for developmentally disabled individuals as well as a leadership program that assists with public speaking and speech writing.
“All of our programs are free for our athletes.”
The Special Olympics organization is the fourth most recognizable and most well reputed brand in the country, said Lachs. He explained that 85.2 percent goes to program services, 12.3 percent goes to fundraising efforts and 2.5 percent to administration.
Approximately 91 cents of every dollar donated to Special Olympics goes back to athletes.
Awards of Excellence were also announced for the top Torch Run fundraisers in 2025.
The top three highest amounts generated in Law Enforcement Torch Runs in Northern California were accomplished by Pinole Police Department, $68,053; Ceres Police Department, $58,722; and Santa Clara Police Department, $53,048.
Among the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, the top fundraisers were San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, $27,507; Correctional Training Facility, $17,001; Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown, $13,773; California Health Care Facility, $11,827; and the CDCR Headquarters, $11,242.
Of the California Highway Patrol offices in Northern California, placing at the top five dollar amounts were Dublin, $6,803; Redding, $6,400; Santa Rosa, $5,290; San Jose, $4,705; and Missing Grade CVEF, $2,790.
Awards of Excellence were also doled out to the top three finishers in the category of Sheriff’s Departments. Alameda County Sheriff’s Department came in first place at $35,500 raised; Fresno County at $12,260; and Sacramento County at $10,261.
Of special law enforcement agencies in Northern California, the top three were the Monterey County Probation Department, $16,639; BART Police Department, $11,717; and Sonoma County Probation Department, $7,700.
Region 3 Awards of Excellence went to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, $3,444; Visalia Police Department, $8,105; and the College of the Sequoias Police Department, $3,859.
