A member from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department recently took part in a run benefitting the Special Olympics movement.

Sergeant Ray Dirksen ran in the Law Enforcement Torch Run on Thursday. Dirksen tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the race began from a chief of police in Wichita, Kansas back in 1981 to bring attention to special olympics. He explains that the state of Iowa adopted the Torch Run in 1987. Dirksen feels grateful to participate in the event.

“To be apart of something, and get the attention to basically be the face of the Torch Run, it’s something to me that’s prideful.”

Dirksen loves the meaning behind the Torch Run of bringing awareness to the Special Olympics and has been participating in the event since 2008.