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Law Enforcement Torch Run
Sgt. Sal Gerbino was selected to be a member of the 2003 Final Leg across Europe. [Read more reports from the journey of the "Flame of Hope" across Europe and throughout Ireland]

A JOURNEY TO REMEMBER
by Sgt. Sal Gerbino, Town of Gates Police Department, Rochester

When asked to represent Special Olympics New York and the Law Enforcement Officers of New York and the United States as a member of the Final Leg Team, I was both honored and proud. After the extraordinary three-week journey and carrying the Flame of Hope from Athens Greece across Europe and into the Isle of Ireland for Opening Ceremonies of the 2003 World Summer Games, I was simply humbled.

Sgt. Sal Gerbino poses with Mary McAleese, President of Ireland. [Photo by Herb Gelb, courtesy of Carquest]

Humbled by the outpouring of support from the countless thousands of people from the 10 countries and 53 cities and towns that my team had run through. Humbled by the magnitude of the commitment ranging from the presidents and prime ministers of those countries all the way down through the ranks of my brothers and sisters in law enforcement and the citizens of those communities. Humbled by the reference of the athletes to us in their speeches as the worlds bravest protectors and as their heroes when in fact they have become our heroes, and we see them as the bravest.

Humbled most of all by those athletes who were members of our Final Leg Team, by their enthusiasm, dedication and stamina, especially Kevin Brown, my roommate. Those ten athletes didn't just run with us or escort us, they led us. They ran at the head of our formation carrying the Torch for countless miles over country roads and onto city streets the entire way. For my team, with Kevin leading, that meant daily runs including numerous 10k or more over the first nine days, through European cities. When we arrived in Ireland, we then ran behind Kevin into six different cities or towns every day for the next eight days, averaging two miles per location with some exceeding four miles. Kevin never took a break and always responded "I'm fine" when asked how he was doing.

When not running, the athletes would often re-direct us as we turned the wrong way en route to a scheduled event. If we forgot what the uniform of the day was, they were quick to remind us. For every speech and presentation that we would make, each athlete would make ten. And those speeches would be made to crowds ranging from 500 to 10,000 people including everyone from heads of state, to foreign delegations of athletes to local towns people and dignitaries. The title "Global Messenger" was never more appropriate.

One of my proudest moments occurred when I got to stand at the podium next to Kevin Brown in the Town of Banagher in the Republic of Ireland. We both spoke there to a crowd of over 3,000 and then made presentations while one of our team mates, Robert Eaton, a lieutenant from a Rhode Island Police Department who had become one of Kevin's greatest advocates, held the torch during our speeches. Once again, Kevin "stole the show" when he ad-libbed an entire add-on to his speech, telling everyone about his employment with the FBI and how hard he had worked to get that job after failing the test the first time he applied. The standing ovation seemed to go on for an hour, as the tears flowed while the cheers rang out over Kevin's accomplishments. Once again, I was learning from Kevin

Thousands gathered in towns throughout Europe to welcome the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics [Photo by Larry Parker, courtesy of Carquest]

Though this Final Leg in its entirety has generated a lifetime of new friendships and memories for me personally, as well as a new brother named Kevin Brown, I will now speak to the most important issue of all: that being the mission and purpose of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg, a primary part of which is to heighten awareness for the Special Olympic movement worldwide. I will say without hesitation that this most important part of our mission was fulfilled beyond our expectations.

The participation and involvement of the people in every town and city across Europe and Ireland was of enormous proportions and included tens of thousands of family members and school children in addition to those already mentioned. They acknowledged that their commitment to the Special Olympic cause would remain strong long after the World Summer Games have left their beautiful country. The sincerity of their commitment was carried not only in their words, but more importantly in their faces and by their actions as they embraced the athletes both individually and as teams in the host towns across Ireland.

The "Flame Of Hope" has truly been ignited across Europe and our Law Enforcement brothers and sisters from around the world have committed to being the Guardians of the Flame abroad, as we have long been committed here in the United States. I implore all of you now to keep supporting the Special Olympics movement and to reap the endless rewards that follow, those being rewards of the heart.

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