A Hilliard police officer will represent United States law enforcement next month at the Special Olympics World Games in Europe.
Detective Brandon Long has been selected as one of the final leg runners for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games, taking place in Italy and France.
The Final Leg is a team of law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes from around the world who will carry the Flame of Hope across Italy, culminating in the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony March 8.
“This is a great honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to support the Special Olympics movement and to represent HPD and the Hilliard Bobcats Special Olympics program on an international platform,” said Long, who currently serves as the State Director of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ohio.
While he’s there, he’ll also participate in his third polar plunge of the season. Long was among a group of four law enforcement officers who recently participated in a “Super Plunge” – one plunge per hour, every hour, for 24 consecutive hours. Temps dipped into the low teens, but spirits remained high as donors supported the cause.
Long said he was impressed to see how much support Super Plungers received.
“While the event was mentally and physically challenging, the surge in fundraising and awareness, all for our Special Olympics friends, made the suffering worth it,” he said. “We were so amazed by the support that we are already discussing how to make it bigger and better in 2026.”
This week, he will be among several officers who join the Hilliard Bobcats Special Olympics team for the Columbus Polar Plunge for Special Olympics.
Funds raised at the event directly support year-round programming for more than 170 Hilliard Special Olympics athletes. Specifically, it covers uniforms, equipment, facility costs, travel, snacks, tournaments, and the attendance of athletes and coaches at Summer Games.
This year’s plunge will take place Feb. 8 at Lower.com Field, 96 Columbus Crew Way, Columbus.
The Hilliard team is currently in first place. Help by joining the team or donating to a member here: https://bit.ly/4gPdLga.
Support Detective Long in his international journey: https://bit.ly/3DVKnpX
About Law Enforcement Torch Run®
The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics is the largest public awareness vehicle and grass-roots fundraiser for Special Olympics. Known as Guardians of the Flame, law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes carry the Flame of Hope into the Opening Ceremony of local competitions and into Special Olympics State, Provincial, National, Regional, and World Games. Annually, more than 100,000 law enforcement members carry the Flame of Hope, symbolizing courage and celebration of diversity uniting communities around the globe.
Over the years, the LETR has evolved and now encompasses a variety of innovative fundraising platforms including but not limited to Plane Pull, Polar Plunge, Tip-A-Cop, Cop On Top, etc. Since its inception in 1981, the LETR has raised more than $1 billion for their local Special Olympics programs and raised an unmeasurable amount of awareness for the athletes and mission
