Welcome!

 

Welcome to the 2026 USA Games 

Final Leg Team!

It is with tremendous excitement that I welcome you to the 2026 USA Games Final Leg Team! In less than one year we will embark on an extraordinary journey to raise awareness for individuals with intellectual disabilities, inclusion, the power of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, and to promote the Special Olympics USA Games.

This blog site will be home for the distribution of nearly all information you will need to prepare for our mission. I am also allowing access to program CEO's, LETR Liaisons and Torch Run Directors so they may follow along. Although we will not be sharing information here that is necessarily confidential (although you will know details about the Final Leg before the public), this is NOT a public blog, and I respectfully ask that you not share access to this page to anyone not formally affiliated with the team. 

                                                            Greg Dawson & Mark McCorkle

Greg Dawson and I will lead the team on this fantastic trip. Our goal is to not only help us fulfill our mission of successfully delivering the Flame of Hope to the Opening Ceremony, but to ensure it is a memorable experience for everyone!

This is a very ambitious Final Leg with some of you having to report earlier than others. Let's look very briefly at the TENTATIVE schedule:

Wednesday, May 27, 2026: Mark, Greg, Senior Team Leader Jeannie Sanchez (Louisiana) and Torch Runners/Athletes from Minnesota and Illinois arrive in Chicago

Thursday, May 28, 2026: Flame Lighting rehearsal

Friday, May 29, 2026: Flame Lighting Ceremony - Chicago (attended by Torch Runners and athletes from Minnesota and Illinois, Mark, Greg, and Senior Team Leader Jeanne Sanchez 

Saturday, May 30. 2026: Mark, Jeannie and the Minnesota Torch Runner and Athlete fly to Los Angeles (Route 1)

Sunday, May 31, 2026: SoCal Torch Runner joins Route 1 in LA; Route 2 begins ground journey to New Jersey

Monday, June 1, 2026: Ceremonies in LA area

Tuesday, June 2, 2026: Route 2 crew arrives in New Jersey; Route 1 group flies to Sacramento and is joined by NoCal Runner.

Wednesday, June 3, 2026: Route 1 Ceremony in Sacramento; Route 2: Torch Runners from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Team Leader Shaun Cuddeback (New York) arrive in New Jersey

Thursday, June 4, 2026: Route 1 flies to Seattle and is joined by the Washington Torch Runner; Route 2 Torch Runners travel to Liberty Island for photo op at Stature of Liberty

Friday, June 5, 2026: Route 1 ceremony in Seattle; Route 2 Ceremony in NYC then travels to Point Pleasant, NJ for Summer Games Opening Ceremony

Saturday, June 6, 2026: Route 1 flies to Wichita, KS and is joined by the Kansas Torch Runner; Route 2 Ceremony in Point Pleasant NJ, travel to Philadelphia

Sunday, June 7, 2026: Route 1 Ceremony in Wichita; Route 2 Ceremony in Philadelphia, travel to Harrisburg, PA

Monday, June 8, 2026: Route 1 flies to Dallas and is joined by the Texas Torch Runner; Route 2 ceremony in Harrisburg, travel to Pittsburgh; Torch Runner and Athlete from Illinois join Route 2

Tuesday, June 9, 2026: Route 1 ceremony in Dallas; Route 2 ceremony in Pittsburgh

Wed. June 10, 2026: Route 1 flies to Atlanta and is joined by the Georgia Torch Runner; Route 2 travels to Cleveland, Ohio

Thur., June 11, 2026: Route 1 ceremony in Atlanta; Route 2 ceremony in Cleveland, travel to Detroit

Friday, June 12, 2026: Route 1 ceremony travels to Nashville and is joined by the Tennessee Torch Runner; Route 2 ceremony in Detroit 

Saturday, June 13, 2026: Route 1 ceremony in Nashville; Route 2 begins travel to St. Paul, MN with overnight stop in Madison, WI

Sunday, June 14, 2026: Route 1 and Route 2 arrive in St. Paul; possible welcome ceremony at airport upon arrival of Route 1 group

Monday, June 15, 2026: Remainder of Running Team, Team Leaders and Logistics Team arrive in St. Paul; Welcome Dinner

Tuesday, June 16 - 20, 2026; Ceremonies throughout Minnesota; Opening Ceremony

Sunday, June 21, 2026: Games; Farewell Dinner

Monday, June 22, 2026: Team is free to travel home

PLEASE review the schedule very carefully, especially those Torch Runners from programs identified in RED. If there are any questions or issues with your reporting date, PLEASE notify me ASAP.

Here are your Team Leaders:

Jeannie Sanchez (Louisiana)

Kelly Walsh (Connecticut)

Shaun Cuddeback (New York)

Donovan Heavner (Washington)

Heather Mah (Arizona)

Greg Martin (Georgia)

We are assembling the teams as I type and once they have been solidified, we will share with all of you. In order to streamline communications, each of the Team Leaders will be establishing a WhatsApp group for each team. 

We will also have three full team Zoom calls between now and the start of the Final Leg. We have found to be very valuable for the entire team.

Have you started running? Talk to you soon!