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Plunging for a cause

Mesquite News - 1/14/2018

This year's Mesquite Polar Plunge event to raise money for the Special Olympics of Texas is scheduled for Jan. 27 at City Lake Aquatic Center.

The money raised continues to provide sports training and competitive opportunities for Special Olympics athletes in their community. Last year's Mesquite Polar Plunge had about 75 plungers and raised over $20,000.

During the Jan. 2City Council meeting, Mayor Stan Pickett said that if City Manager Cliff Keheley could raise $500 by Jan. 27, he would be the first one down the slide that morning.

Organizer and Mesquite Police Officer Kevin Smiley said 100 percent of the money raised goes to the Special Olympics of Texas athletes, and their goal to compete in the state games usually held in Arlington at UTA.

"For the special needs athletes this is the pinnacle of their athletic competition. They come from all over Texas to compete in this," he said. "It benefits our local athletes here in Mesquite. It helps put on the festivities and competitions in Arlington, which are held every Memorial weekend."

Returning participant Valerie Boyette, Mesquite Police Department dispatcher, will be taking her eighth plunge this year.

She said although she jokes that she was forced to participate by retired officer Jeff French that first year, she was excited to jump in the next time.

"I went and had a lot of fun, then I went to the state games the year after that," she said. "The athletes were so inspiring, and it was such a fun day to hang out with them and volunteer and be with the guys and the police departments from all over the state that I just kept wanting to go back and wanted to do more and more every year."

The state games are held in May at the University of Texas ? Arlington. Volunteers spend the day, and at the end of the torch run, which finishes in the UT stadium, volunteers give the athletes high fives and cheer them on, then they have the opening ceremonies and a dance party on the field, Boyette said. Attendees from the Mesquite Police Department spend the rest of the day volunteering and hanging out with the SOTX athletes.

Boyette said it was shocking the first time she took the icy plunge, and there's really no way to prepare for it.

"We've had years where they had to break ice on the pool," she said. "You just never know what you're going to get ? some years it's ice-breaking, and other years it's just been turn-blue cold."

She said she hasn't been brave enough to look at what the temperature will be for this year.

There are no wet suits allowed at the Polar Plunge, but costumes are welcome and awards are presented for the best costumes following the plunge.

For more information about the Polar Plunge and how to participate, visit sotx.org/events/polar-plunge/a10/.