Police officers representing departments throughout the central Arkansas region began the final leg of the Arkansas' Special Olympics torch run Thursday at the State Capitol, en route to the games in Searcy.
Carriers set off earlier this week bearing torches from each of the state's four corners, converging on Little Rock on Thursday.
The state's Special Olympics will take place Thursday to Sunday at Harding University in Searcy.
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, the state's top law enforcement officer, gave a final sendoff to the contingent of officers running with the torch, commenting that her mother's work as a elementary school special education teacher had sparked her interest in the cause.
"This issue is near and dear to me. It inspires me every day," Rutledge said.
North Little Rock Police Chief Mike Davis said police officers in Arkansas have been participating in the torch run for 26 years.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run, an international program in support of the Special Olympics, has helped raise nearly $50 million in recent years, according to the Special Olympics' website.