February, 2012
3rd Annual Polar Plunge Biggest and Best Yet!
A record number of brave souls were "freezin' for a reason" at the Third Annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Florida on January 21, at Aquatica, SeaWorld's water park.
After some dancing, entertainment, a costume contest and brief kick-off ceremony - which included a $10,000 check presentation from the Plunge's Presenting Sponsor, the Florida Professional Firefighters, 710 "Plungers" from throughout Florida dashed into Aquatica's massive wave pool which was chilled down to a refreshing 65 degrees.
Afterward, everyone got to stay and enjoy Aquatica all day under perfect blue skies at a comfortable 80 degrees - a very Florida way to Plunge - part "Polar," part "Solar"!
Thanks to everyone's efforts, more than $180,000 was raised for the athletes of Special Olympics Florida, with Palm Beach County athlete Bailey Griffith claiming the "top individual fundraiser" award and the Palm Beach Athlete Leaders group "Freezin' our ALPs for a Reason" earning the top fundraising team bragging rights for 2012.
The real fun of the Plunge was the array of costumes on parade and this year's individual costume contest winner was Darlene Parker of the Dunellon Polar Pigs.
Mark your calendar now to join us at Aquatica in January of 2013 for the Fourth Annual Polar Plunge!
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"Thank You" Fans!
Thanks to the generosity of Floridians everywhere, our annual torch campaign, available at Publix, had a record-breaking year!
We'll unveil the official amount this spring during a special presentation, but we want to thank everyone who purchased a torch and helped spread the word about the importance of this annual campaign.
Special Olympics Florida never charges its athletes or their families a fee for participation and that is only possible because of fans like you, Publix's generous customers, and our long-time partners, Publix Super Markets and Procter & Gamble!
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P&G Helping Young Athletes Live,
Learn and Thrive
Special Olympics Florida is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant from Procter & Gamble, to support our Young Athletes Program!
The Young Athletes Program is a free, innovative and inclusionary play program for children with and without special needs, ages, 2-7, designed to build critical early developmental skills, as well as introducing them to the world of sports.
P&G is proud to partner with Special Olympics to improve the lives of Young Athletes and their families, as well those in the community who get the opportunity to learn the importance of celebrating individual capabilities and inclusion, through Special Olympics. P&G has made this grant in honor of partner CVS/pharmacy, who works hard every day to improve the lives of children with disabilities.
Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. In these countries and beyond, P&G is committed to improving lives for children in need through its global cause, Live, Learn and Thrive. Every day P&G Live, Learn and Thrive® is helping children get off to a healthy start, receive access to education, and build skills for life. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G, its brands, and Live, Learn and Thrive.
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Magic and Panthers Team Up With
Special Olympics Florida
Both the Orlando Magic and the Florida Panthers hosted a "Special Olympics night" during January. Special Olympics athletes and their families got to attend the games and were highlighted throughout the night.
At the Orlando Magic game on January 17, athletes got to high-five all the players as they came on the court, including Special Olympics supporter Dwight Howard (pictured)!
In South Florida, Palm Beach athlete Jonathan Doring rode on the zamboni and got the crowd pumped about Special Olympics!
Both nights featured special guests from Special Olympics Florida Premier Sponsor, Publix, and Special Olympics Florida and International Partner, Procter & Gamble.
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Welcome Our Newest Year-Round Sponsor!
Join us in welcoming RP Funding as Special Olympics Florida's newest Gold Medal Sponsor! RP Funding, lead by President Robert Palmer, is a licensed Florida Mortgage Lender with offices in Maitland. As a direct lender, RP Funding underwrites, closes and funds its own loans in order to offer customers the best rates and highest level of service.
RP Funding has sponsored and is sponsoring several events benefitting Special Olympics Florida, including the 2011 Island Hop, the 2012 Polar Plunge (Robert Palmer pictured with Seminole County athlete Kristin Costanzo at the Plunge), the 2012 Orlando Chili Cook-off, and RP Funding is also the Title Sponsor of our annual Special Olympics Rocks gala.
Keep up with Special Olympics Florida in between newsletters by following us on Facebook: see exclusive stories, offers, video and photos, and interact with other fans.
Upcoming Events!
State Basketball Championships: Southeast Championship, February 3-4, venues throughout Cocoa Beach. North Championship, February 10-11, Gainesville, Southwest Championship, February 10-11, Tampa. More than 1,100 athletes throughout Florida will compete in team basketball, and individual and team skills competitions.
Special Olympics Rocks! Saturday, February 18, from 6:30 - 11:00 p.m. at the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando. Enjoy a rock and roll themed night of fun, entertainment, great food, open bar, incredible silent and live auctions, a live concert and surprises throughout the night. Individual tickets and table sponsorships are available. This is not a stuffy black tie affair: wear your best party/rock chic attire. Complimentary valet parking provided. Reserve your seats now!
Orlando Chili Cook-off benefiting SOFL: Saturday, March 3 at Blue Jacket Park in Baldwin Park (Orlando). The third annual Orlando Chili Cook-off will showcase Central Florida’s best amateur and seasoned chefs. Tickets are only $7 if you get them in advance, online. Gates open at noon and event goes until 5:30 p.m. The cook-off has something for everyone, including live music, all the chili you can sample, adult beverages and a kids fun zone. The cook-off is a great way to spend a Saturday without breaking the bank, all while helping Special Olympics Florida!
Fiddler's Green 5K: Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 a.m. at Mead Gardens in Winter Park. Get a jump on St. Patrick's Day - lace up your running shoes and join us for the Fiddler's Green 5K Run/Walk benefiting SOFL. All registered participants receive a long sleeve t-shirt and all runners 21 and older get a free pint of beer at Fiddler's Green immediately following the race. Entry fee is $25. Check out our website for full details.
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