Polar Plunge raises funds for Special Olympics to be inclusive

First-person narrative on the true effects of the Polar Plunge inspires important cause

Marlee Baron

Senior Marlee Baron and family member participate in the polar plunge

Marlee Baron, Staff Writer
March 6, 2018

Shock is the only way to describe it. The water shocks you to your core and suddenly you are laser focused on getting the heck out of there and into the warming hut. Flash back a few weeks to deciding to sign up. I was on Facebook and I saw that one of my friends was raising money to do a polar plunge so I looked into it. The Special Olympics is a cause I really believe in so I figured I could raise money and get a cool story out of it. I signed up and shared a link on Facebook asking people to donate to the Polar Plunge and Special Olympics. In order to participate you need to raise at least $75. My family and friends were very generous and I ended up raising about $175.

       

The day of the plunge arrived so my mom and I drove down to the state fairgrounds, where the plunge would be taking place. I really wanted to do the polar plunge but I really didn’t want to do it alone so my mom agreed to do it, even though jumping in freezing cold water was one of the last things she wanted to do on a cold Sunday morning. The temperature was about 15 degrees when we got to the plunge, which would be taking place in a little pool. After taking a quick peek at the pool we’d be jumping into, we ran into the warming area. We checked in, picked up our t-shirts and started getting ready. It took a little while to get going but once it started it went very fast. We were the last plungers and we went maybe 10 or 15 minutes after the first people to jump in. There were about 50 plungers in total. It was a little hectic and a fairly short event but still fun.

When we had finished plunging and were in the warm car in dry clothes I felt pretty good about the event and all the money we raised. After a few days my mom talked to one of her friends about the event and this friend had a unique view that I wouldn’t have thought of. The polar plunge raises money for the Special Olympics, a very inclusive event, however, the plunge itself is not very inclusive. Many people with physical and mental disabilities would be able to participate in this event. Raising money in a way that is not inclusive of everyone, regardless of ability, seems counterproductive and toes the line of  showing off. In addition, while the polar plunge does raise a lot of money for the Special Olympics, not all the money donated through the polar plunge goes to the Special Olympics. If you really want to support the Special Olympics and the inclusive atmosphere they promote, consider donating directly to the Special Olympics.

[In Print] This story is reprinted from The Rubicon print edition Mar 6, 2018