Here at John’s Crazy Socks, we’re serious about our support for the Special Olympics. On November 19, our namesake John jumped into freezing water as part of a Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. He raised over $600 that day.
The Brookhaven Polar Plunge
The 7th Annual Brookhaven Polar Plunge brought over 800 brave souls to Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai to jump into icy waters for the Special Olympics. They were “Freezin’ for a Reason.” This was John’s third polar plunge and he was joined with his partners in bravery: Linda Costello-Roth and Nancy Wilson, the two lead administrators for the Special Education Programs in the Huntington School District.
Fundraising is important for all charitable organizations, but here’s why it matters so much to the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics never charges its athletes. So there are no fees, no equipment expenses, no financial barriers to participation. Yet it cost money to field a team, to run practices and to hold competition. For example, John has participated in multiple New York State Special Olympic Games that have been held in places like Buffalo, Rochester and Poughkeepsie. Special Olympics paid for a bus to carry the Long Island team, hotels to house them, the games themselves, opening and closing ceremonies and all the meals. The State Games are inspiring and moving events. What a sight to behold when those athletes come marching into a stadium or arena, flags flapping, and those competitors smiling and waving. It is easy to see how charging the athletes would exclude some, so Special Olympics covers all the costs to ensure maximum participation.
The New York Special Olympic organization estimates that it costs $400 per athlete per sport. Worldwide, there are 4.7 million Special Olympic athletes. New York alone has 67,162 athletes training and competing year-round in 22 Olympics-style sports.
John benefits greatly from participating in a wide-range of Special Olympic sports (soccer, floor hockey, basketball, bowling, track & field and snowshoeing). It is easy to see why he and John’s Crazy Socks are so anxious to give back to this organization. John cares so much that he’s willing to jump into freezing water to raise money for the cause. And here at John’s Crazy Socks, we are giving 5 percent of our profits to the Special Olympics. It is part of our three S’s: Socks, Service and Special Olympics.
If you buy socks from us, you are helping the Special Olympics. But you can give directly. Click here to make a donation to the Special Olympics.
