It's never too early to start thinking about the "Coolest Event in Kentucky" — the Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics Kentucky. Once again Special Olympics has five plunges scheduled for 2008.
Polar Bear Plunge time is annually Special Olympics Kentucky's biggest fundraising season of the year. Each of the five events is unique and inclues a fun festive atmosphere with food and great prizes. We hope to see you at the Polar Bear Plunge nearest you. For more information about the Pluge, call 800-633-7403
Click on the City to Register NOW!!
The 2007 Polar Bear Plunge season once again saw records fall in the state of Kentucky as more than 2,100 people took the Plunge on behalf of Special Olympics athletes in the state this year. They helped raise nearly $475,000 to support sports training and competition opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the state.
Once again, and not surprisingly, Louisville led the way with a whopping 1,350 Polar Bears raising $300,000 for the program on February 24. Part of that success was the first ever SuperPlunge which saw four brave Polar Bears — Jami Benner, Wayne Bray (jumping for Brian Bray), Felipe Hernandez and and Katrina Johnson — jump into the Ohio River once an hour for 24 hours starting at 11 am on Friday, Feb. 23. The Supers raised more than $13,000 on their own.
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Special Olympics Kentucky President/CEO Dave Kerchner introduces the Louisville SuperPlungers — (l-r) Felipe Hernandez, Wayne Bray, Katrina Johnson, Jami Benner and Brian Bray — to the crowd before they make their final jump. |
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Beyond Louisville there were other success. The Kentucky-Ohio Plunge raised a record $65,000 to support programs in both states. Two Plunges found new homes this year and kept on making great strides. The Owensboro Polar Bear Plunge moved to the Hines Center this year and saw 119 Polar Bears hit the wter raising $26,000. The Lake Cumberland Plunge turned into a weekend-long celebration with its move to Lee's Ford Resort and had 86 Polar Bears raise $32,000. In its second year at Applebee's Park in Lexington, that Polar Bear Plunge drew almost 350 Polar Bears and raised $54,000.
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While taking the Plunge, many of this year's Polar Bears were dreaming of travels to more tropical climates as once again AAA Kentucky offered a Caribbean Cruise for two aboard Carnival Cruise Lines. Every Polar Bear who raised at least $250 for Special Olympics at any of the five events held this year earned a chance in the drawing. Polar Bears raising at least $500 for any plunge received five chances in the drawing. For the second year in a row, the lucky Polar Bear who will get to warm up in style came out of the Louisville Plunge. First-time Polar Bear Stuart Katz was the big winner. Katz raised $605 for Special Olympics to take the Plunge.
Special Olympics would like to thank everyone who made the Polar Bear Plunges such a success in 2007, including all the Plungers, Sponsors and Volunteers who made everything happen. For details about individual Polar Bear Plunges, click the links below.
For more information about how you can get involved in the 2008 Polar Bear Plunges, contact Courtney Sullivan-Staples (Kentucky-Ohio, Lake Cumberland and Lexington) at (800) 633-7403 or via e-mail at csullivan-staples@soky.org or Candace Sanders (Louisville and Owensboro) at (800) 633-7403 or via e-mail at csanders@soky.org.
Established in Louisville in February 1999 when more than 100 brrrrrave souls raised funds and made a splash into the Ohio river, this event has grown into a signature event across the country for the Special Olympics organization and it grows each year.
