Why I'm Taking the Plunge, Again
Confessions of a 40-Year-Old Penguin
By BRAD DRAZEN
Updated 11:47 PM EST, Tue, Jul 28, 2009
On Jan. 25, I’ll join hundreds of other seemingly insane people and hurtle my aging body into 33-degree water at Winding Trails in Farmington to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut. Thousands of others will do the same at equally frigid bodies of water across the start throughout the winter.
The obvious question is: WHY?
The answer is simple, if you’ve ever seen a Special Olympics competition. I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved with the organization for most of my nine-year tenure here at the station. Over that time, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as emcee at local and state competitions, awards ceremonies and golf tournaments. Every time, I leave with a wonderful sense of having been associated with something that’s good…unspoiled.
SOCT staff is a smart group of people, the thousands upon thousands of volunteers across the state are supremely dedicated to the cause, the families are profoundly supportive; year after year they sacrifice nights and weekends for their son, daughter, brother or sister to participate.
That being said, it’s undoubtedly the athletes themselves that truly make the organization special.
If you love sports, people or just a good cry, witnessing a Special Olympics event is for you. The purity of the competition, the camaraderie between the athletes, and the sheer joy they exhibit on the field is remarkable. Any organization that fosters that kind of activity is one worth sacrificing for.
This will be my second Penguin Plunge. Last February, I spent a warm (mid-20s) Sunday in the waters of Crystal Lake in Middletown. The sense of fellowship among the plungers was fantastic and I can’t wait to have that experience again on the 25th.
To visit Brad's fundraising page, click here.
First Published: Jan 12, 2009 10:58 AM EST
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
