The 40th annual Special Olympics Summer Games began Saturday at Cal State Long Beach, with 1,100 athletes with intellectual disabilities competing in basketball, bocce, golf, gymnastics, swimming, tennis and track and field.

The opening ceremony included a 1,500-mile torch relay that began June 2 at Chula Vista police headquarters. It culminated with the Flame of Hope arriving by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopter. A deputy sheriff rappeled from the helicopter with the torch in hand.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ron Thatcher and Special Olympics athletes Kevin O'Donnell, Sam Mesa and Marisa Watkins participated in the lighting of the cauldron.

More than 4,000 law enforcement officers were involved in the torch relay, Special Olympics' largest grassroots fundraiser.

Special Olympics Southern California's 40th anniversary was marked by a nearly 500-pound birthday cake that will feed 2,000 people, according to organizers.

Special Olympics Summer Games also marks the start of Special Olympics Southern California's ``It's OK to Re-Gift'' campaign, where the public is asked to donate unused and unexpired gift cards to help defray the costs of running their programs.

Cards will be collected at information booths near the Pyramid and at Expo Park during the competition today and Sunday, or mailed to the group's headquarters at 6730 E. Carson St., Long Beach, Calif., 90808.

``I believe we can find a good use for just about any gift card that exists,'' Bill Shumard, the president and chief executive officer of Special Olympics Southern California.

``Gas cards can be used to help transport our athletes to competitions, grocery cards help defray expenses for snacks and food at practice and coffee cards can supply refreshments for our volunteers.''

More information on Special Olympics Southern California is available on its Web site, www.sosc.org.

