Jim Parsons retired from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office two years ago, but he still participates in the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Parsons and his son, Bobby, were among those who ran the nearly 7-mile course Wednesday in support of Southwest Washington Special Olympics.
“Special Olympians have a spirit about them,” Parsons said. “I’ve never met a Special Olympic athlete who has ever felt sorry for himself or herself.”
Bobby Parsons, 19, has special needs, and the two spend quality time running on the Salmon Creek Trail. Jim Parsons said for him, the annual run is a chance to reunite with a group of people he greatly enjoys.
“They are special people that can teach us. I know they’ve taught me how to live better,” he said.
Runners donned beige shirts and ran the course, which took the group from the Clark County Courthouse, past the Water Resources Education Center and, finally, to the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center.
Race entry fees and proceeds from an auction are expected to raise between $2,000 and $3,000, said organizer Bill Blue, a juvenile custody officer.
This year’s torch run offered participants the option to walk the course, which allowed more athletes to participate.
Deanna Santos, 59, walked with her 32-year-old daughter, Rosa Santos, a soccer player. Rosa Santos wore an ear-to-ear smile as she held the hands of fellow walkers strolling the sidewalk on the sunny day.
“She just loves it,” Deanna Santos said. “The Special Olympics is how she made a lot of her friends. … To be honest, I’ve made a lot of friends from her doing it, too.”
Rosa Santos has been a Special Olympics athlete for 21 years, and her mother has been by her side for everything.
“I’m going to do it until I can’t do it anymore,” Deanna Santos said.
