Special Olympics Flame Of Hope To Arrive In Downtown LA

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Special Olympics Flame of Hope, which was carried in a torch relay across the United States by thousands of runners on three routes, arrived Friday in downtown Los Angeles to light a cauldron ahead of the Special Olympics World Games' opening ceremony.

The flame has been on winding paths across the country since May 26, when torch relays began in Maine, Florida and Washington, D.C. The three relays will move through the Los Angeles area Friday beginning in North Hollywood, Lakewood and La Habra.

At about 3 p.m., the three routes converged at the Bank of America Plaza on Hope Street in downtown Los Angeles, where a ceremony was held to light the Special Olympics cauldron.

Dignitaries such as former California first lady Maria Shriver, founder of Special Olympics Southern California and former Olympian Rafer Johnson, Mayor Eric Garcetti, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell were expected to attend the ceremony.

Another celebration for the Flame of Hope will be held Friday night at Dodger Stadium prior to the team's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. During that event, the flame will be passed to law enforcement, which will carry the torch across the state for the next two weeks in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg, culminating at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the opening ceremony on June 25.

To buy discounted tickets to the Opening Ceremony, enter code "WGFANS" at http://bitly.com/LA2015discount.

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