12.22.2010 | Issue #3 Friends & Family Will Support What You Care About 51 Second Plunger Profile: Ellie Hardwick, Bend Ellie Hardwick is a senior, majoring in Sociology at Oregon State University in Corvallis. She's used her internship with SOOR to do a terrific job of raising the visibility of Polar Plunge at OSU. She's also an avid plunger. See her video clip for tips on getting pledges, and how to get ready for that cold water. Watch Ellie's video clip. Last Minute Gift Idea: Sponsor Me For Polar Plunge Every year your friends and family scratch their heads and wonder what to get you for Christmas. Here's a way to be nice and let them off the hook: Suggest that in lieu of a gift, they could pledge for your Polar Plunge. For the price of a few scary sweaters and a Slap Chopper they can help you make a huge difference for Special Olympic Athletes all year long. If you haven't yet, now is a good time to let your friends and family know about your decision to plunge this year. Just send them a simple email with a link to your fundraising page. The more you raise in pledges, the more incentives you qualify for. See the complete list here. If you raise more than $1,000 in pledges, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a 42" flatscreen TV, courtesy of Best Buy. That would be a pretty cool gift. Why We Do It: Plunging Supports The Athletes Meet our friend Dalton McConkey. Dalton is 15 years old and has been part of Special Olympics for 6 years. He loves to play softball and basketball. The vision of Special Olympics is to help bring all persons with intellectual disabilities into the larger society under conditions whereby they are accepted, respected and given the chance to become useful and productive citizens. For the more than 8,000 participants we serve every day, every month, every year, Special Olympics Oregon is a basic need. And yet, we have more work to do as an estimated 100,000 more Oregonians could benefit from our programs. By raising money for our athletes, you'll be supporting their participation in our life changing programs. Find out more about our mission Featured Plungers: Team Fred Meyer "It takes a deep commitment from the heart to take the Polar Plunge in support of a cause. It is a unique experience that asks you to do something pretty crazy in order to make a statement about what's important to you and the community. When one of our great Associates takes the Polar Plunge, they're not just making a quiet statement, they're shouting, 'Now this is something worth plunging for!'" Robert Gordon, Vice President of Human Resources, Fred Meyer www.plungeoregon.com Find us: Follow us: Contact Info polarplunge@soor.org www.plungeoregon.com 503.248.0600 x 48 Polar Plunge benefiting Special Olympics Oregon 5901 SW Macadam, Suite 200 Portland, OR 97239