To generate enthusiasm for the upcoming Torch Run fundraiser for Special Olympics, a meet-and-greet was held at the Ceres Community Center Wednesday afternoon so that city staff members could meet a variety of local athletes.
Arranging the event was Ceres Police Lt. Jeff Godfrey who’s been an ardent supporter and fundraiser for Special Olympics of Northern California. Godfrey wanted to allow city workers to “put a name to a face and have a conversation with an athlete so they can see how they’re support positively impacts Special Olympics athletes and their families.”
Special Olympics is designed to support and encourage intellectually disabled persons. Approximately athletes from the Special Olympics’ leadership teams came down from Tuolumne County and others from Modesto.
“Special Olympics is more than just an athletic program,” explained Godfrey. “It has really branched out over the past few years, and in addition to athletics it’s leadership development, health and wellness, all types of opportunities for them to learn and integrate into the world.”
On June 24 Police officers throughout Stanislaus County will don their running shoes to run over three miles for Special Olympics of Northern California. Officers pay $40 to participate in the run and received a Special Olympics dry fit runner shirt. The run is scheduled a week before the Summer Special Olympics game to be held at Santa Clara University where thousands Special Olympics athletes will participate in games.
Godfrey said that law enforcement across the globe is the largest fund raising arm of Special Olympics.
Ceres Police, for four consecutive years has raised the most money of all police agencies in all of Northern California. Last year CPD raised $66,000.
Godfrey said 94 cents of every dollar goes to participants.
“It’s a labor of love for sure,” said Godfrey, who serves on the Executive Committee of the Special Olympics of Northern California, assigned to work with law enforcement agencies in Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties. The primary fundraiser is the police torch run, which involves approximately 200 police agencies and 2,600 officers running in Northern California. It is the largest fundraising vehicle for Special Olympics.
Godfrey’s interest in special needs kids began earlier in his life.
While growing up in Modesto, Godfrey had a best friend in Jeff Pearce who has a twin brother Randy with Down syndrome. It was that relationship that gave Godfrey his first introduction to someone with special needs.
“It’s that relationship that really tugged at my heart in regards to getting involved with Special Olympics.”
Once Godfrey attended a summer game in 2012 to present medals to athletes, he learned that participants walk away from the experience more impacted from the athletes “than they might be from you.”
“There’s a mutual respect and love and appreciation between the athletes and the officers and being able to be a part of that, they welcome you in without any hesitation, without any judgment, without any reservation at all. And there’s a real strong bond, I think, that happens between the athletes and the officers. They consider us the guardians of their Special Olympics flame, and we take that very seriously. I think they take the relationship just as serious.”
To donate to the 2025 Law Enforcement Torch Run which which goes to Special Olympics, visit https://p2p.onecause.com/2025torchrun/team/ceres-police-department-2
