Three athletes with Moose Jaw Special Olympics were thrilled to make several Moose Jaw police officers shiver during this year’s Polar Plunge — even without using water.
Scott Peterson, Carl Paulhus and Russell Hippert excitedly dumped buckets of snow over several police officers in the police station’s parking lot on March 1, as part of the fifth annual Polar Plunge fundraiser. The event is one of the biggest fundraisers for Special Olympics Saskatchewan (SOS) and supports more than 1,500 athletes.
The organization went with a virtual fundraiser this year since dumping buckets of water on people is not COVID-19-friendly, the SOS website explained. Instead, teams and individuals were encouraged to post pictures and videos of themselves being creative with “taking the plunge.”
The organization set the goal of raising $30,000 this year; as of March 2, $22,518 had been generated. All the money stays in the province to support individuals with intellectual disabilities.
“That was fun,” said Hippert afterward. “Not often do we get to throw snow at a police officer. The event was awesome, and I was glad to be part of it.”
The officers were very co-operative, agreed Peterson. He particularly enjoyed seeing Kane, an assistance intervention dog, and the animal’s handler, Donna Blondeau, the co-ordinator for Victims Services.
“The event went over very well,” echoed Paulhus. “I was impressed how it all turned out. A big thank you goes out to the police for coming out and getting iced on their heads.”
In February, an email was issued encouraging police organizations to join forces to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics, explained Const. Kyle Cunningham. Since the typical plunge was not possible, he thought that using buckets of snow was the best choice.
“It’s always great (to participate),” Cunningham said, especially since several officers — from the deputy chief to constables — agreed to take part.
The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) has had a great relationship with Moose Jaw Special Olympics over the years, he continued. Officers and athletes usually play various sports throughout the year, from floor hockey to bocce ball. With the pandemic still in place and no one able to gather, Cunningham thought having a smaller event was better since everyone could still share a laugh.
Cunningham was thankful that it snowed on Feb. 26, because as the organizer, he was able to change how this year’s Polar Plunge looked. He and his daughters shovelled plenty of the white stuff into buckets to use on March 1.
“I really didn’t want to get dunked with a bucket of cold water. I thought snow was a better option. So selfishly, I much preferred the snow,” he added.
Anyone interested in donating to Special Olympics Saskatchewan’s Polar Plunge 2021 campaign can visit www.specialolympics.ca/skpolarplunge.
