Polar plunge major fundraising boost to bring Special Olympics games to CK

The seventh annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics was a success before the first plunger hit the icy water on Saturday.

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Lead organizer Sgt. Jason Herder with the Chatham-Kent Police Service said this year’s event was unique because 100 per cent of the proceedings are going to support the 2024 Special Olympics School Championship Games. He added this marks the return of a provincial Special Olympics event in Chatham-Kent for the first time in 27 years.

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He said the organizing team for the Special Olympics games was tasked to raise $200,000 of the $400,000 needed to host the games in 13 months, along with organizing the event being held in June.

“This is a challenge most organizations are given two to three years to complete,” he added.

Herder announced before the first plungers hit the water on Saturday the plunge had raised $63,000 and counting.

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He added this puts the fundraising total for 2024 games is an “unbelievable” $369,000 that has been raised in eight months.

“Once again, that shows our community’s dedication, perseverance and commitment to one another,” Herder said.

“I can’t wait for the show that we are going to put on for our 1,000 Special Olympics athletes that are coming from across the province to Chatham-Kent this June,” he added.

Looking back when the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics started, Herder said the first even had 36 plungers, “most of whom I had to beg to join.”

He said the first plunge raised $14,400, and seven years later, it has raised more than $280,000 and counting for Special Olympics Ontario. He added this included two years of doing virtual events with only online fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Mayor Darrin Canniff did his part to add to the $63,000 by putting up $1,000 of his own money to take the plunge if it was matched by those in the crowd on Saturday. It was matched, including another $1,000 by WINMAR Property Restoration Specialists in Chatham.

Canniff didn’t disappoint giving a shark costume to take the plunge.

“This a great event and I can’t wait to see how organizers showcase our community with the Special Olympics School Championship Games come here in June,” the mayor said.

This year’s plunge saw the most people register with more than 200 people taking the plunge, up from last year’s total of 160 plungers, Herder said.

Ashley Campbell with the Underground Fit Club said she was among a few people from the Blenheim location who initially planned to do the plunge.

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She added that soon grew to 20 people as they collectively raised more than $1,000.

“It’s pretty cool, it’s pretty awesome,” Campbell said of her team coming together.

Jessica Cassidy, of Chatham, decided to take the plunge and even talked her dad Tim Cassidy into coming along.

“I answered the phone and all I heard was a sweet ‘Dad,’ and that’s what did it,” Tim Cassidy said.

“Of course, I had to call my brother,” he added.

Mike Cassidy came from Gurnee, Illinois to be part of their pirate-themed team called ‘Shiver Me Timbers.’

“The first time I hung up,” Mike Cassidy joked about getting a call from his brother.

“I’ve done it before, but it was when I was ice-fishing, I fell through the ice,” he laughed.

When asked supporting the cause, Jessica Cassidy said, “It’s kind of nice to donate to something that will actually be in the community that we can see.”

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