Welcome Plungers! Warm Wishes and Have Fun! Andrea Rachko Development Director Law Enforcement Torch Run Liaison (800)

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1 Plunger Tool Kit

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Letter 2 Plunge Dates & Locations 4 Plunge Tools 5 Tips for First Time Plungers 6 Tips for Plunge Teams 8 How to Raise $500 in 10 Days 9 Frequently Asked Questions 11 1

3 Welcome Plungers! Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) is thrilled to welcome you as part of our mission to provide year-round athletic, health and leadership programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The first Polar Plunge was held in Saginaw in 2000, raising nearly $10,000. This year, we have 29 plunges scheduled across the state of Michigan. Not only have we added plunge locations, but every plunge continues to grow. In 2014, we raised over $1,100,000. During the 2015 polar plunge season, we are hoping to again raise over $1,100,000. Polar Plunges are one of many annual Law Enforcement Torch Run events. The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics involves local law enforcement personnel who help raise funds and increase awareness of Special Olympics in their communities. The staff at Special Olympics Michigan is dedicated to making the 2015 Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge season the biggest and most successful one yet. We are eager to assist you with any questions, comments or concerns you may have, so please feel free to contact either of the statewide Plunge coordinators below by phone or . Warm Wishes and Have Fun! Andrea Rachko Development Director Law Enforcement Torch Run Liaison (800) Heather Fox Development Manager (800)

4 3 DATES & LOCATIONS

5 1/17 Battle Creek Polar Plunge Lake City Polar Plunge 2/21 Belleville Polar Plunge Caro Polar Plunge Holland Lake Polar Plunge KalamazooPolar Plunge Mount Pleasant Polar Plunge 1/24 Brighton Polar Plunge Saginaw/Bay City Polar Plunge 1/31 Jackson/Clarklake Polar Plunge St. Joseph Polar Plunge 2/22 Lansing Polar Plunge St. Clair Polar Plunge 2/7 Fenton Polar Plunge Gaylord Polar Plunge Greenville Polar Plunge Muskegon Polar Plunge Traverse City Polar Plunge 2/28 3/4 Alpena Polar Plunge Chippewa Lake Polar Plunge Sylvan Lake Polar Plunge Legislative Polar Plunge 2/14 Cheboygan Polar Plunge Detroit Polar Plunge Grand Rapids Polar Plunge Higgins Lake Polar Plunge Sault Ste. Marie Polar Plunge 3/14 Marquette Polar Plunge 2/15 University of Michigan Polar Plunge 4

6 PLUNGE TOOLS ONLINE FUNDRAISING All event participants are able to generate donations online through PlungeMI.org Benefits of Online Fundraising The Web allows you to ask for donations from family and friends all over the world at no cost. Online donors immediately receive their receipt online for tax purposes. It is easy to send mass s to remind people to donate. You can set up lists, track donations, and customize your page. Donations made by credit card are typically 65% higher than those made by cash or checks. Less paperwork for you and no worry about sending funds to SOMI. It s easy to link your Firstgiving page to your Facebook page! PLUNGE ICON The Plunge Icon is a photo that can be included in your signature. Put this in your signature to bring awareness to your plunge! This can be downloaded at PlungeMI.com. 5

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8 TIPS FOR: FIRST-TIME PLUNGERS THINGS TO DO Wear your plunge costume under your outfit so you won t have to worry about changing and will stay warm while you wait. Bring a towel and additional warm clothes to wear after your plunge that are easy to put on. Bring a bag to put all of your wet clothes and towel in after you plunge. Carpool. Parking can be crowded, so come as a group, or take advantage of Plunge shuttle services, if available. Bring a pair of shoes! All plungers are required to wear shoes. Invite friends to watch, take photos, and pass dry clothes after the event! There are restrooms/changing areas for your use. Leave yourself plenty of time to make it to the Plunge location. Make a fun and unique costume to plunge in! This is a family event, so be sure costumes are appropriate and do not cover the nose and mouth. Bask in the glory of your achievement! Not only did you take the plunge, but you supported Special Olympics Michigan! Be sure to share photos, videos, or YouTube links with Special Olympics Michigan. THINGS NOT TO DO Do not dive into the water. This is a safety precaution for all plungers that is strictly enforced by the dive team. Do not run out of the water after you plunge as everything is wet and slippery. Be careful on your way to the changing area, showers, pool, or hot tub, depending on the site. Do not drink alcohol before the event and do not bring alcohol to the event. Drinking and intoxication are prohibited during the Polar Plunge.

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11 TIPS FOR: PLUNGE TEAMS Recruit friends, family and business associates to join your Polar Plunge team. The bigger the team, the better. Create your plunge team online at firstgiving/polarplunge.com and take advantage of the many online fundraising tools. Encourage team members to register online, join your team, and create their own personal web pages. Set your fundraising goals and encourage your team members to surpass them! Your team must raise $75 per team member to participate. Track both your online and offline donations. Challenge another team to a friendly competition to see who can raise the most money and place a friendly bet. Gather your teammates addresses and send them periodic updates. Keep your team members informed of progress towards your goals and offer fundraising tips. Plan a team-building meeting or event and invite plenty of attendees (food is a great motivator)! Show pictures and tell stories if you ve taken the plunge before so everyone can see how fun it is. Plan and create a plunge costume to help build team spirit. Ask for help! Special Olympics Michigan is here to give you ideas. Be sure to provide your team members with day of plunge information. Have fun! 8

12 HOW TO: RAISE $500 IN 10 DAYS DAY # WHO TO ASK TOTAL/DAY 1 Add personal contribution of $25 $25 2 Ask three family members to match your personal donation of $25 $75 3 Ask your best friend to sponsor you for $25 $25 4 Ask your boss for a $25 contribution, or to match the total that you raise $25 5 Ask five friends to sponsor you for $10 $50 6 Ask five additional friends to sponsor you for $10 each $50 7 Ask five businesses that you frequent to sponsor you for $10 each $50 8 Ask five co-workers to sponsor you for $10 each $50 9 Ask five neighbors to sponsor you for $10 each $ Ask ten people from your social circle to sponsor you for $10 each $100

13 GRAND TOTAL $25 $100 $125 $150 $200 $250 $300 INCENTIVES Each plunger needs to raise a minimum of $75 in donations to receive the official Polar Plunge long sleeve T-shirt. The shirt will be given out the day of the plunge. While prizes are not the main reason why we fundraise and plunge, we love them anyway! Check out this year s exciting Polar Plunge incentives. The higher level incentives will be given out through our certificate redemption process. $2,500 Softshell Jacket $1,500 Carry on Suitcase $1,000 Choice of Portable Charger or Backpack $750 Choice of Game Day Blanket or Track Jacket $500 Hoodie Sweatshirt $200 Beach Towel $75 Long Sleeve T-shirt You can always opt out of receiving an incentive to give more money back to Special Olympics Michigan! $350 $400 $500 10

14 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Is team membership limited to my organization/corporation? A: No. Team participation is encouraged among your families, friends, and neighbors. The outside, high-energy setting of the Polar Plunge creates a fun, wholesome event that brings co-workers and their families together outside the office for the purpose of helping others. Q: How are funds raised through a Polar Plunge team? A: Individual team members are responsible for setting goals and raising funds from co-workers, friends, neighbors, and family members who wish to back the team and support the mission of Special Olympics Michigan. Teams can also conduct special events to raise funds. SOMI should be alerted of special events. Q: How is the money collected? A: Each team member is responsible for collecting funds from supporters and turning them in to your team captain, who will forward them to Special Olympics Michigan. You can also raise all of your funds online and no collection will be needed. All funds raised online go directly to SOMI. Q: What should I bring with me to the Plunge? A: We encourage you to bring: towels, shoes to plunge in and shoes for after, dry clothes, and a bag to hold your wet clothes. Q: What should I wear to plunge in? A: We encourage participants to take part in the costume contest; however, it is not mandatory. Q: Where does the money raised for Polar Plunge go? A: The money raised goes to support training and competition for nearly 21,000 athletes in the state of Michigan. Q: Can I turn in money after the date of the plunge? A: Yes, money collection typically lasts through the beginning of April. 11

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