Sporting A Cause

Tag Archives: Special Olympics CT

Penguin Plunge

They abandoned all of their comfort and a bit of their dignity last Saturday when they jumped into cold water for a great cause. They were the intrepid souls who raised money for Special Olympics Connecticut at the Winsted Penguin Plunge at Highland Lake.

The event is billed as the largest grass roots fundraiser in the state for Special Olympics CT, and they proved it Saturday. The group raised nearly $80,000 for the charity which provides year round training and competitions for 12,000 Connecticut athletes with intellectual disabilities as well as Unified Sports which partners SO athletes with teammates without intellectual disabilities.

Now the real story at the Winsted Penguin Plunge was the number of young people involved. Groups from Torrington and Pomperaug High Schools as well as the elementary schools of Region 7, and the Boy Scouts from Troop 23 in Torrington plunged in full uniform.

All in all, kids made up over 25% of the total participants at the Plunge. And that’s not counting the hundreds, if not thousands of high schoolers who serve as partners in the Unified Sports program

I’ve written before about the significant role that our young people play in local charities , and I’ll surely be reporting about it again. Our young people don’t get enough credit for all they do.

Til next time

Willie

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Winsted Penguin Plunge

The Winsted Penguin Plunge will be held Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Highland Lake Boat Launch, 278 Lake St., Winsted, CT 06098. This is the “largest grass roots fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics CT.”

The Penguin Plunge is a wintertime fundraiser for Special Olympics Connecticut. Participants (“Penguins”) of all ages register and get pledges and then join with others, either as an individual or as part of a team, to jump into the cold water for fun and a great cause!

Entrants, who must be 8 years old or more, are asked to raise a minimum of $100 each to participate in the Penguin Plunge, but there are great incentive prizes for those who meet higher fundraising levels. Those who do not want to take the plunge can still participate in the fundraising effort. Entrants are asked to raise their funds early enough to bring them the day of the event.

Register online at give.classy.org/winstedplunge for a free event T shirt. Costumes are encouraged. Get a printable registration form at soct.org.

The Plunge day schedule is as follows:

10:00 am Registration

12:00 noon Plunge

1:00 pm Awards for fundraisers, best costumes and other festivities.

 

The money raised through Penguin Plunges benefit over 12,000 athletes and Unified Sports® partners state-wide who participate year-round in 27 different sports training and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their peers without disabilities. The Penguin Plunge is one of the largest fundraising efforts for Special Olympics Connecticut.

For more information call (203) 230-1201 ext. 270 or email jeffreyv@soct.org.

For more information about Special Olympics CT visit soct.org.

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