Five years of freezin’ for a reason

By Lyndi-Colleen Morgan

St. Clair College and the Windsor Police Service held their 5th annual Polar Plunge, raising proceeds to help Special Olympics.

“Be bold, and get cold,” was the motto of the 5th annual plunge for the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Despite a temperature of -2 degrees Celsius feeling like -11 degrees, approximately 165 participants jumped at the St. Clair College SportsPlex on Feb. 5, 2019.

The money raised at this event goes towards Special Olympics Ontario, which has been around for approximately 50 years.

“Special Olympics makes such a difference in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. You talk to some of the athletes, and what Special Olympics has allowed them to do and become is amazing,” said Adam Young, a constable with the Windsor Police and member of the Polar Plunge committee.  

Special Olympics is the ‘charity of choice’ for policing services, with a variety of events being coordinated to raise funds for this organization.

Young also said that in policing, change can be slow, but the differences made by Special Olympics have improved the lives of individuals with disabilities.

“People go from quiet introverts, dormant type people to explosive, engaging in the community…and I contribute all of that to the sportsmanship they get, the camaraderie they get from all of the programs,” said Young. “So when you are jumping you are jumping to give these people, which is anyone with an intellectual disability, a helping hand.”

Since 2015, approximately $186,000 has been raised to help fund this charity. This year’s fundraising goal was $60,000.

He said that the smiles of the Special Olympians at the event encourage jumpers to spread the word, with the number of jumpers increasing yearly. This year saw many new and returning jumpers.

“Our (soccer) coach suggested the idea, and we all came together and decided it would be a good idea if we jumped,” said Tira Copeland, who was unable to jump due to an injury but showed up to support her team. “It’s close to home for me personally. I work with kids with autism and can see the difference it makes.”

Earlier this year a teacher and valued member of the Polar Plunge team, Bernie ‘Chico’ LaBute, passed away. He was involved with the plunge since the first year, encouraging students and staff to make a difference.

Several groups of jumpers jumped in his name, including the Student Athletic Association of St. Clair College.

“We had some (St. Clair) students approach us and talk about jumping in Chico’s memory,” said Laura Walker, President of the SAA. “We are jumping in his memory today. He was a great man and he did a lot, so I hope that people are coming out to jump because he did a lot of work helping with this event.”

Jumpers stopped to remember Chico during a moment of silence before jumping began.

Constable Young met Chico through this event and said he was an important member of the team, embodying the spirit of the plunge.

“He was more than just a colleague to me. He was a personal friend of mine. You talk to all the students — he impacted so many people and his work ethic was tireless,” said Young. “This event wouldn’t have happened without him.”