Lake Acworth Polar Plunge raises $200K for Special Olympics Georgia athletes

“Last year was our highest year,” with regards to fundraising, Thomas Ritch, Special Olympics Georgia’s chief development officer, said. “This year was right there with it.”

Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens was among those who took the plunge last year. “It took my breath away when I hit the water,” Owens recalled, standing on the beach in a top hat and fake mustache. Participants often dress in costume, and the dozen-plus members of the Cobb Sheriff’s Office came away with second place in the costume contest.

Despite being all too familiar with how cold the water would be, Owens and his colleagues opted to take the plunge again this year.

“It’s just the right thing to do, and I think our agency should participate in events like this because we’re giving back to a very special cause,” he said. “It could be zero [degrees] and we’d still come out and do it.”

Credit: Aleks Gilbert/Marietta Daily Journal

Credit: Aleks Gilbert/Marietta Daily Journal

Money raised by the event goes toward defraying the cost of participating in the state’s Special Olympics, which average just over $100 per athlete, said Ritch.

Georgia Special Olympics hosts four major events each year: the summer games at Emory University from May 27th through May 29th, the fall games in Valdosta, the winter games in Marietta and a horse show in Alpharetta. According to Ritch, around 2,000 athletes compete in the summer games.

Credit: Marietta Daily Journal

Credit: Marietta Daily Journal

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