WESTWOOD, N.J. — Westwood Regional Middle School, working with local law enforcement and first responders, hosted its inaugural Student Torch Run on Thursday, June 4, bringing students, educators and emergency personnel together in support of Special Olympics New Jersey.
The youth-focused event served as a community prelude to the statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run. Students, track athletes, school staff and first responders took part in a one-mile run designed to promote inclusion and raise funds for Special Olympics athletes.
The Westwood Regional Middle School Student Council, under the guidance of advisor Kelly Morrison, helped plan and coordinate the event. The school community raised more than $250, which will be matched by the Westwood Police Department and Washington Township Police Department.
The afternoon began with a school-wide clap-out, with students lining the hallways to cheer on the runners before they left the building. Students from the school’s Connect program handed off the ceremonial torch to the runners during the opening ceremony.
The run began around 2 p.m. from the middle school’s back entrance on Second Avenue. The one-mile route continued through Mill Street and Third Avenue, passed the campus on Meadow Road, and ended with a community celebration at the local baseball field around 2:30 p.m.
Participants included nominated members of the Westwood Regional Middle School Track Team, event co-organizer and ELA Special Education Teacher Melissa Martone, Westwood Police Department LEAD Officer Danielle Neuberger, and local police and fire officials, some of whom ran the course in duty gear.
“Thanks to the coordination with first responders, our first Torch Run was a great success. It was an honor to run beside them and the students to show how our school and community can come together to raise money for such an important cause. On a personal note, it was an incredible experience to share my love of running with the school community,” Martone said.
Neuberger, who served as the law enforcement lead for the initiative, said the event helped strengthen ties between students and police.
“Fostering positive, grassroots relationships between our youth and local law enforcement is vital. This event gave our students a meaningful, hands-on role in a historic charitable movement, and we are incredibly proud of their dedication and fundraising efforts,” Neuberger said.
First responders from Westwood and the Township of Washington assisted with the route, including temporary road closures, detours and perimeter safety.
—Via Lori Perlow for the Westwood Regional School District