The Polar Bear Plunge is a spectacle like no other. Plunge participants take a quick dip in the freezing cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay to raise funds for Special Olympics Maryland, the state’s largest year-round organization devoted to sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Photo: (C) 2010 Doug Hill RightsAssist, LLC
Ten years ago, Jerry Schwartz, Executive Director for BNI Maryland and Washington D.C., was looking for a way to give back to the community and have a fun event that BNI members could participate in. He met with the Special Olympics people and had a chance to meet the athletes and their families, and see all the great work that they do. It was obvious to Schwartz that the Special Olympics was a wonderful, warm charity and the Polar Bear Plunge was just the kind of event he was looking for.
BNI Maryland has been participating in the Polar Bear Plunge for ten years now and as of the most recent Polar Bear Plunge event on January 30, 2010, they have raised around $200,000.00 (USD for the charity!
Last month, twenty seven BNI members participated in the Plunge and the top donation generators are listed here:
· Sean O’Neil BNI Annapolis Thursday Breakfast - $2015
· Mark Pearlstein – BNI Assistant Director for Howard County - $1600
· Ann Wiseman – BNI Assistant Director for the Eastern Shore - $1600
· Deborah Frantz – BNI Assistant Director for Anne Arundel County - $1000
Taking the Polar Bear Plunge is a great example of how members of BNI Maryland are spreading the Givers Gain® philosophy outside of BNI.
“A lot of times we think of ‘gain’ as financial but there are other ways that we can gain,” says BNI member and Polar Bear Plunge participant Dawn Converse. “Our few moments of discomfort give someone else an opportunity to participate in a program that results in them feeling a great sense of accomplishment. It also gives us a feeling of satisfaction for being part of that. The Givers Gain® philosophy is about helping others on a variety of levels. Whether you plunge and/or make a donation, your generosity results in something special!”
Two more BNI members who participated in the Polar Bear Plunge in 2010 had this to say:
“When you give to a wonderful organization like Special Olympics, it is immeasurable the amount you gain.”—Eric Eisenberg
“As BNI is all about giving and the belief that those who give will eventually gain ten-fold, being a part of the Plunge is another way to practice BNI’s overall philosophy. Giving our time, energy, money and resources to the Plunge is not about what we gain, but what the athletes of the Special Olympics gain—an opportunity. It is an honor to be included in such a unique fund-raising effort and although the water was cold, the warmth of the donors' hearts kept my blood pumping enough to jump into that icy Chesapeake Bay. In the end, I sacrificed a few minutes of sanity so the athletes could have a chance of a lifetime.”—Sean O'Neill
To learn more about the Polar Bear Plunge, CLICK HERE.
To learn more about BNI Maryland, CLICK HERE.