Residents gathered with township elected officials, police, and employees for a ceremony welcoming the “Flame of Hope” to Moorestown’s new Town Hall Complex on June 12. The township ceremony was led by Deputy Mayor Stacey Jordan and included speeches by the Deputy Mayor, Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano and Township Manager Scott Carew.
Councilman Phil Garwood also attended the ceremony and, along with Jordan and Napolitano, presented each athlete and the law enforcement that run with them a Moorestown “Gold Medal” on behalf of the residents of the town.
“The slogan of Special Olympics New Jersey is ‘Genuine Jersey Pride’, and I can tell you, we are all extremely proud of each and every one of you,” Jordan stated during her address to the Special Olympians. “Today, you see genuine Moorestown pride on display as we’ve come together to wish our amazing athletes well on their way to the USA games.”
“We are proud of our community here in Moorestown, but you cannot be a community without inclusion,” Councilwoman Victoria Napolitano said. “The work the Special Olympics does for our special needs community by building a more inclusive world is remarkable and should be commended.”
“I thank our law enforcement here in Moorestown and around the country that has volunteered to participate in the torch run and support the efforts of these incredible men and women,” Jordan added. “They are truly an inspiration to us all.”
Moorestown was one of 11 communities selected for Thursday’s stops in the Philadelphia region of New Jersey. The team of Special Olympians and law enforcement selected are part of the prestigious “Final Leg Team,” which brings the torch to its final destination: the lighting of the cauldron at Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games at the Prudential Center in Newark.
