The Special Olympics' Flame of Hope will be carried through central Tauranga on Saturday.
Some of the region's top Special Olympics athletes will be joined by Tauranga police officers at the event, which will begin at 2pm at the Te Awanui waka at the northern end of The Strand.
The athletes and officers will carry the flame along The Stand, up Devonport Rd and Elizabeth St and then down Grey St and back to The Strand.
They will be met there about 2.30pm by Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless.
It is all part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which sees torches relayed from each end of New Zealand to Wellington - where the 2017 Special Olympics National Summer Games will be held from November 27 to December 1.
More than 1300 athletes from 42 Special Olympics clubs and three schools will take part in the games.
Saturday's event in Tauranga is one of 31 torch run events around New Zealand.
The series of runs and fundraising events aim to raise awareness and money for the Special Olympics movement.
Chief executive of Special Olympics New Zealand Kathy Gibson said the torches will travel to all regions and clubs taking part in the National Summer Games.
She said the Law Enforcement Torch Run helped promote and support Special Olympics' athlete leadership programme, which provides athletes with the tools and experiences to become leaders in their own right and to speak for themselves.
"The support of the New Zealand Police and other service personnel are hugely valued and we look forward to taking to the streets with them as we move throughout the country."
More than 90,000 police professionals and supporters across 35 countries are taking part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
Palmerston North's Inspector Mark Harrison is director of the New Zealand events.
"Once again we are delighted to be able to support the build-up to the National Summer Games. Law enforcement staff are proud to run alongside the athletes through our communities as the Flame of Hope makes its way to the games in Wellington," he said.
"The flame represents so much of what policing is about - it stands for hope, courage, opportunity, inspiration and equality."
The New Zealand Special Olympics National Summer Games is held every four years and is the largest event for athletes with intellectual disabilities in the country.