Special Olympics torch begins 46-day journey to L.A. at Marlins Park

Flame of Hope will arrive in California July 10

The Flame of Hope was lit Tuesday morning at Marlins Park, starting a cross-country relay ahead of the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles this July.

MIAMI – A Special Olympics torch began a cross-country journey Tuesday morning when it was lit in a ceremony at Marlins Park. 

Three Flames of Hope were lit simultaneously to kick off the Unified Relay Across America ahead of the Special Olympics World Games. The torches from Miami, Washington and Augusta, Maine, will be passed for 46 days before the start of the games July 10 in Los Angeles. 

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More than 20,000 participants, including fundraisers and athletes, will pass the torches along the three routes. 

The relay, presented by Bank of America, began at 7:15 a.m. from Marlins Park. Participants will pass the AmericanAirlines Arena before crossing the Venetian Causeway, Ocean Drive and the Shops at Bal Harbor. The relay will then continue on to Palm Beach County. 

Organizers for the Unified Relay Across America said the race "aims to unite the country, increase understanding and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities, and create communities of acceptance and inclusion along the way." 

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