Ten-year-old Troy Chichotky, an experienced polar plunger, and his “Frozen Waves” teammates are thankful temperatures are rising just in time for this Saturday’s second annual “Freezin’ For A Reason Polar Plunge” at Splish Splash, a “chilly” event where hundreds dip into cold water to raise funds for Special Olympics New York.
“It’s always a great feeling that you have after you help someone, especially if you help someone do something that they love,” 11-year-old Bryce Mackie said.
The Frozen Waves — fifth-graders Trey Dietz (Team Captain,) Troy Chichotky, Michael Gabriel, Johnny LaCorte, Liam Lennon, Bryce Mackie and Brenden Wallace; fourth graders Kyleigh Lennon, Olivia Sulzer and Taylor Dietz; third grader Keira Mackie and second graders Conor Dietz and Logan Sulzer — are this year’s top fundraisers with $5,400 raised collectively, an amount that will likely increase by the time the plunge takes place on Saturday.
The ready-to-get-wet event, a partnership between Special Olympics New York and Splish Splash, is crucial to the organization, said Special Olympics New York director of development Jennifer Cantone.
“We are so very thankful for the support that we receive, donors and sponsors,” she said.
Without it, Cantone said athletes wouldn’t be able to compete and cover expenses, which includes everything from uniforms and equipment to transportation and lodgings — all of which has a cost of about $400 per athlete. Donate here.
Special Olympics New York has 71,889 athletes training and competing year-round in 22 Olympics-style sports, she said, and in Long Island alone, there are over 7,100 athletes that depend on the funds that come from events such as the Polar Plunge at Splish Splash.
“Plunging is a great experience, it’s life-affirming, refreshing and it’s an amazing feeling when it helps raise money for our athletes that can face discrimination out in the world,” she said. “We found the most amazing partnership in Splish Splash.”
Splish Splash sales manager Claire Smith said that when they were looking for a way to give back to the community, this was the perfect way.
“We love to partner with the local community and do as much as we can,” said Smith. “This is a great way for us to do that and we are excited we will have better weather this year and a better turnout to raise even more money.”
It’s a partnership that includes sponsorship and donations from private local individuals and teams, such as the Frozen Waves, local organizations like the Riverhead PBA and the Southampton PBA, private companies such as Schwing Electric and Titan Securities and big corporate sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Canon and Nature’s Bounty, among others.
The event raised over $22,000 last year — the first ever Polar Plunge at Splish Splash for Special Olympics NY — and drew over 100 plungers, Cantone said — among them, Riverhead Central School District elementary students, local police officers and entire families.
“We have already surpassed that amount and we have even more plungers registered this year,” she said.
No doubt, thanks in part to the young Riverhead Central School District students who joined forces and created the Frozen Waves.
More impressive than the large amount of money they have raised, are the hearts of these boys and girls, who through this endeavor, are learning life-long lessons, said Liam and Kayleigh Lennon’s mom, Kristin.
“It’s super important kids do this. Nowadays it’s all about instant gratification and it’s good for them to realize how fortunate they are and be active and participate in sports and help others,” she said.
Eleven-year-old Wallace, whose mom works with disabled people, said that he was very happy to help others who might not have the same opportunities than him.
“Disabled people also deserve to do what they love,” he said. “We all play sports and others should be able to as well.”
Ten-year-old Michael Gabriel, the top fundraiser in the team with $1,715 raised by sending emails with the help of his mom, said that having special needs, or multiple, shouldn’t be a barrier, and that having learned about how important this event was for Special Olympics athletes, he wanted to raise as much money as he could.
“It’s hard raising money because you have to ask people to donate, but in the end, it’s worth it,” he said. “We realized that raising money to help others can also be fun.”
“We’re super proud of all of them in participating and doing this as a group,” said Kristin Lennon. “They took the lead in doing something that they love.”
Because love, is what is at the center of it all, said Marguerite Timmons, a certified Special Olympics basketball coach and mother of Special Olympian Thomas John “T.J.” Timmons.
“This is a labor of love,” she said. “From the people who donate for the fundraisers, to the coaches who volunteer their time and don’t get paid, to the athletes who are not only competing but making friendships and creating life-long bonds. It all comes together.”
Thirty-year-old T.J., who has been diagnosed with multiple handicaps and has been singing the national anthem at different Special Olympics fundraisers for the last seven years — including Saturday’s— is a high-functioning athlete who plays four different sports, and whose life, he says, was changed when he joined the Special Olympics team.
“Before it was very different, I couldn’t do anything, but now I feel like I’m a part of something and I belong to a community,” he said.
A community that through hard work and intense training— they train 52 weeks a year in three different seasons — has not only improved T.J’s quality of life, but given him a sense of purpose, his mother says.
“It has fined-tuned his skills. He’s more independent. And it helps him feel valued,” she said. “If anyone would go and watch them at competitions, see their faces, the medals they get, they would know how important this is for them.”
Marguerite Timmons said that without events such as the Polar Plunge, athletes like T.J. can’t show off their skills at competitions and “it breaks their hearts.”
“A couple of years ago there wasn’t enough money, and the athletes were very sad and disappointed,” she said. “It’s not only about playing the sport for them, it’s also about building a family outside your family.”
The Polar Plunge will take place at the Kahuna Bay Wave Pool from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“We just ask that people wear something on their feet, the ground is very cold,” said Cantone. “Come with excitement, have someone there to hold a towel when you come out, and have fun!”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the grades Logan Sulzer and Conor Deitz are in and didn’t mention Trey Deitz and Olivia Sulzer, who are also part of the Frozen Waves. Trey Deitz is team captain.
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