Taking An Icy Plunge For A Good Cause

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

More than a hundred people gathered at the Mesquite Recreation Center outdoor pool to support Nevada Special Olympics on Saturday. It was a fundraiser that can be described in just one word: cold!
The Special Olympics held Polar Plunge events in many states across the nation on Saturday, including one in nearby Mesquite. This event was a fundraiser that benefitted the Special Olympics organization in southern Nevada. The Mesquite Desert Stars is part of that organization which includes several special needs athletes from Moapa Valley.

The event was more than just a chance to show bravery and jump into a pool of cold water. Everyone who signed up to jump also gathered donations in order to be able to participate. Those who didn’t want to jump in but still wanted to donate were welcome to register as a chicken. Family and friends were also welcome to come and support the festivities together.

For a little extra money, those who wished to make a bigger splash were welcome to “slide like a seal” into the water by going down the slide to make their plunge or to do the “penguin plunge” by jumping off the diving boards.

The pre-plunge activities were almost as fun as the main event. Elvis, or at least an excellent impersonator, was the master of ceremonies for the event. There was a bounce house, face painting, a door prize raffle and lots more.

There was even an ice block relay that pitted members of the Mesquite fire department against employees from FiT Physical Therapy in Mesquite. They had to swim from one side of the pool to the other side while pushing a block of ice. In an ironic twist, the Mesquite FiT team literally won by, well, a block of ice.

Everyone that came was encouraged to dress in costume. The costume contest was one of the pre-plunge highlights of the day.
There were also eight different categories of prizes that included oldest plunger, youngest plunger, best girl costume, and the best boy costume.

Moapa Valley resident Brenda Bowler won the “Athlete’s Choice” award as voted on by all the Special Olympic athletes for her bee costume.
An event isn’t perfect without food, of course, and the Polar Plunge had that covered as well. Before the jumps occurred, the Mesquite fire department grilled up a delicious barbeque of hot dogs and hamburgers for all attendees for a $5 donation. The most popular thing on the menu, however, may have been the hot chocolate!

After the lunch, it was time for the main event. This year there were about twenty people that jumped, ranging in age from 20 or so to their mid-70’s.
“The water was freezing cold!” said Bowler, who was one of the plungers. “That fact, coupled with the fact that we were already cold from the rainy and windy weather outside the pool, made this truly a polar plunge. However, it was still a lot of fun and definitely for a great cause.”
In all, this event raised over $6,000 dollars that will go to help special needs athletes attend the summer and winter Special Olympics games, among other things.

Special Olympic events are more than just an opportunity for special needs athletes to compete. They also give athletes a sense of belonging and inclusion as well as giving them the opportunity to feel the joy that comes from being part of a team. Events like the Polar Plunge also give the families and friends of these athletes a chance to get to know each other better and to make new friends while sharing experiences and gathering strength from each other.

“People who attend these events always go away with a happy heart because you can’t help but feel uplifted by these kids,” Bowler said. “There is a real sense of joy in getting to be part of something like this and that was certainly true for this weekend as well.”