Representatives of five local law enforcement departments will square off in a pair of softball games Saturday, July 21, to benefit the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois. Officers from the Bloomington, Normal and Illinois State University Police Departments, along with McLean County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police, will play in two law enforcement games before the CornBelters.

The law enforcement softball games, which begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Corn Crib, 1000 W. Raab Rd., Normal, are part of Hometown Heroes Night with the Normal CornBelters baseball team.. Tickets purchased for the July 21 game will include admission to the law enforcement games and the CornBelters game.

CornBelters players will be wearing special jerseys featuring the various police department, Torch Run and Special Olympics logos in their 6:30 p.m. game on the same day against the London Rippers. The jerseys will be auctioned off following the CornBelters game with all net proceeds going to the Torch Run’s fundraising efforts for Special Olympics Illinois.

Special Olympics athletes from the Bloomington-Normal area and law enforcement officers from the community will participate in various ways during the event. Sara Bernabei of the McLean County Sheriff’s Office will sing the National Anthem at 6:25 p.m.

$3 of each $11 ticket soldwill benefit Special Olympics Illinois. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Special Olympics Illinois at 309-888-2551.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fund-raising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics. Each year, more than 3,000 officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the Flame of Hope through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.