VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's that time of year to take the plunge! The Polar Plunge!
News 3 is once again a sponsor of The Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Virginia.
“We got involved in Special Olympics early in life with my son Gavin being born with Down Syndrome," said Chris Hall, a longtime volunteer and cheerleader for Special Olympics.
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His son, Gavin, is a gold medal winner and has been competing for more than 25 years in Special Olympics.
Hall has been a Polar Plunge volunteer for two decades and convinced his company, Virginia Natural Gas, to come aboard as a sponsor.
“Gavin, you’re in bowling and golf, which do you like better?" I asked the athlete.
"Both!” He told me.
Last year, the event raised $1.5 million, and it's on par to do the same this year.
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“That money helps get that taken care of, so they can go and practice, obviously, and then participate in those sports that they choose," said Hall.
Athletes like Gavin practice year-round and then compete in the July games in Richmond and the Fall games in Virginia Beach.
Gavin has tons of medals from competing. As a result of being involved in Special Olympics, Hall says his son thrives in ways that go beyond physical fitness.
“It allows them to get out and socialize and have a good time, be with their peers, and through athletics or some type of sport, allows them to relax and have fun,” said Hall.
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And it's not just the athletes who benefit.
“People don't think about it, but it's good for the parents to interact with other parents and find out, 'Hey, you're going through the same things or you’re dealing with some of the same issues in life,'" said Hall.
There are so many ways you can contribute to the Special Olympics. You can sign up to plunge through the Special Olympics website. But if you’d rather not take the chilly dip, you can still help out by buying a ticket to the party or making a donation through their website.
