“THE PLUNGE”
Dear Penguins and Friends,
We hope that this email finds you and your family well.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is hitting Rhode Islanders especially hard, and we have all been impacted directly or indirectly.
We know the Penguin Plunge may not be first and foremost on your mind as it may have been at this time in years past. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
If you have the time and capacity to help out Special Olympics RI during these unprecedented times, here’s a fun way to do so:
By now we hope you know that the 2021 Penguin Plunge will be a “remote” only event; there will be no in person plunge.
Please DO NOT go to Wheeler Beach on January 1, as there is no organized event by Special Olympics Rhode Island there this year.
We hope you have been thinking about how you will participate.
There are many fun cold water activities you can do to substitute as your 2021 plunge.
Check out some videos by other Penguins on our Facebook page to get some ideas. The possibilities are endless and we know the Penguins are a creative group.
Be safe, be creative and have fun!
We ask that you make a video of your remote plunge and send it to us so we can use it for a commemorative video. Please keep videos between 30-60 seconds and film in “Landscape” and send to Tracy@specialolympicsri.org.
We realize many of you plan to do your plunge on January 1st to stick with tradition, so we have modified our plans and we will not host a New Year’s Day Zoom as we originally thought.
The new deadline to submit videos is January 6. We will put all the videos together and show them at a later date.
Fundraising along with your “plunge” will help to raise much needed funds for Special Olympics Rhode Island. Because SORI has been hit so hard by COVID-19 including canceling most 2020 in person fundraising events, we are asking participants to raise a minimum of $50 to participate this year.
We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t so important. We know times are tough for all, so all efforts to support our athletes is appreciated!
If you haven’t already set up a fundraising page please do so by going to:
https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/2021PENGUIN
This is a new page we will be using going forward, so it may be a little different.
If you need any help or have any questions please reach out to Pat Kirby at the SORI Office at
patricia@specialolympicsri.org
(If you already created a page using the Panorama site, you can continue to use that.) We will also be posting updates on our Penguin Plunge Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Penguin-Plunge-for-Special-Olympics-RI
Again we recognize the difficult circumstances and hardships facing so many of you these days. It is our hope we can still continue the tradition of the Penguin Plunge set forth 45 years ago! Times have changed, but the mission of Special Olympics Rhode Island has not. During these times, bringing inclusion and hope to our athletes and the entire Rhode Island community is needed more than ever!
Wishing you a safe and healthy holiday and a best wishes for a “brighter 2021”.