Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 5, 1990 TAG: 9006070577
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: neal thompson
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Montgomery County Chief Deputy Milton Graham is sore.
No, he's not mad. He's just sore.
He aches. He's in pain.
"But only when I move," he joked.
On Monday, Graham ran a grueling 18 miles between Wythe County and Blacksburg - in the pouring rain. And on Tuesday, he ran another 12 miles between Blacksburg and Salem.
"But it's for a good cause, so I don't mind," Graham said.
And whoever said police work was all coffee and donuts?
Graham's "good cause" was the thousands of mentally handicapped children in Virginia. And his grueling run was part of an attempt to raise money for Special Olympics.
Graham was one of dozens of New River Valley law enforcement officials who took part in a portion of last week's Torch Run for Special Olympics. Each officer was to get a $100 donation for their part of the run.
A brass torch was carried by officers from Southwest Virginia from Wytheville through the New River Valley onto Salem and Lynchburg. It ended up in Richmond Friday night, just in time for the weekend-long Virginia Special Olympics where hundreds of handicapped children would compete for treasured ribbons, medals and trophies.
"I went last year, and it was one of the most heartwarming experiences I've ever been through," said Virginia Tech Lt. Jody Falls, who coordinated this year's fund raising.
Most of the local officers who participated in last week's run took the torch or ran alongside it for a mile or two at a time before turning it over to another group.
Graham, on the other hand, decided to run the whole 30-mile, two-day route from Wythe County to Salem.
Why? What was he thinking, people asked him.
"Actually, I wasn't thinking a whole lot afterward," he said.
Pulaski Lt. J.T. Back said: "I wondered who that was running the whole thing. I knew better. I stayed in the car. I ain't in shape to be doing that stuff."
Instead of running, Back took turns driving vans that followed groups of runners, picking up the ones who pooped out and dropping off those who took their place.
Everybody chipped in, Back said.
Local businesses donated food and drinks for the runners as they snaked through the valley along portions of Virginia 114, U.S. 11 and 460.
But the purpose wasn't just to give folks a chance to see cops sweat.
It was to raise money for a good cause.
Money also has been raised over the past few weeks by officers across the valley selling Special Olympics T-shirts and hats. Businesses have donated money. There was an auction at Virginia Tech last Thursday, a dance at the Christiansburg Moose Lodge and donated items were auctioned off in Christiansburg last week.
Falls said more than $9,000 had been collected late last week and he expected at least another $1,000.
And every penny was going to Special Olympics.
"It's a good thing. And we need to get involved," Falls said.
Footnote: Chief Deputy Graham has finally stopped hobbling around the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.
by CNB