CHESAPEAKE, Va. - While most went to the ocean and Chesapeake Bay to cool off from the intense heat on Saturday, just over a dozen had the time of their lives on a Chesapeake lake.
The Chesapeake Sheriff's Office celebrated the fifth year of "Splash at the Lake."
The annual event gives members of Sheriff Jim O'Sullivan'sElite Unit a day of tubing, water skiing and boat rides at Oak Grove Lake Park.
Athletes with Special Olympics Virginia make up the unique Elite Unit program, and often don't have the opportunity to participate in water sports.
"Just doing things I thought I would never be able to do," said Matt Burk, a sergeant for the Elite Unit.
The day is made possible through a partnership with Virginia Beach Adaptive Watersports (VBAW), a nonprofit making sure people with disabilities have the same opportunities to get on the water as everyone else.
“There’s no bad conversation. There’s no bad human encounter out here because everybody out here is wonderful," said Bill Fertig, a board member with the organization, who a wheelchair following an accident 23 years ago.
Fertig's love of water skiing never waned and he's passing that love along to countless others through VBAW.
This day on the lake, the chance to forget about life's challenges — at least for a little bit — and have some fun.
