Owensboro Police Officer Marian Cosgrove presents medals at the 2007 Special Olympics Kentucky State Softball Tournament, held Sept. 7-9 in Owensboro.

Owensboro Police Department Public Information Officer Marian Cosgrove will be one of 111 Torch Run Volunteers from around the globe who will escort the Special Olympics "Flame of Hope" throughout China as a part of the 2007 World Summer Games Final Leg. Cosgrove will leave for China on Sept. 23 and arrive in time to be part of the Torch Arrival Ceremony at The Great Wall in Beijing on Sept. 25.

From Beijing, Cosgrove will be assigned to one of 11 running groups and will then head to one of the "Host Towns" that will house athletes while they acclimate to China in advance of the start of the Games. Cosgrove and her running team will reunite with the other running teams in Shanghai on Sept. 29 for three days of running in that city.

The Final Leg will culminate with the lighting of the Special Olympics Cauldron at the Opening Ceremonies for the 2007 World Summer Games on Oct. 2.

Cosgrove has been involved in the Kentucky Law Enforcement Torch Run for just over one year. She participated in her first State Games Final Leg just this past June leading up to the 2007 Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games. During Final Leg festivities at that event Cosgrove was presented with the Kentucky Law Enforcement Torch Run "New Hero" Award for her tremendous work with the program. While she is relatively new to the Torch Run, she has been involved with Special Olympics for seven years working with the local program in Daviess County.

Cosgrove is the second consecutive Owensboro PD Officer to participate in the World Games Final Leg. Owensboro Officer Greg Baxter carried the "Flame of Hope" as part of the Final Leg for the 2003 World Summer Games in Ireland.