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Polar Plunge raises $60,000 at Wet n’ Wild Emerald Pointe
Parques Reunidos corporate purpose is to provide authentic memorable experiences and happiness to our guests across generations contributing to the growth of our communities and partners. Wet n’ Wild Emerald Pointe is North Carolina’s favorite water park, and offers a very good example with Polar Plunge fundraiser, where people of all ages, ranging from toddlers to the young at heart enjoy their visit to our water park to make memories that will last them a lifetime.
Wet n’ Wild Emerald Pointe is usually open from about mid-May to the beginning of September. But – what if we were to tell you that this year it opened much earlier? In fact, you might be surprised to hear that it opened in freezing February! Why, you ask? Read on to find out!
It was all for a good, if not, an amazingly cool, cause! Indeed, our Wet n’ Wild Emerald Pointe opened its doors early this year to host the Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) and the annual Triad Chill Polar Plunge fundraiser. Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe was the venue chosen for the special fundraising event which hosted more than 800 participants, benefiting from the Special Olympics athletes and programs. The event was a huge success and raised over $60,000 to support Special Olympics North Carolina.
The Cool Schools Polar Bear Plunge
The two-day event began on February 24 with sixteen different North Carolina schools taking on the challenge of the Cool Schools Polar Bear Plunge. Led by host RJ Reynolds High School, school groups comprising 20 or more students, faculty and staff adorned matching t-shirts and creative costumes as they stepped out onto the large platform stage and took the icy cold plunge into the freezing water of Leisure Lagoon! The opening event raised over $26,000 in polar plunge donations to help support Special Olympic Athletes.
The Triad Chilli Polar Plunge
The second day of the Polar Plunge fundraiser featured the Triad Chilli Polar Plunge Special Olympics event, providing a second opportunity for individuals, teams and organizations to support Special Olympics athletes. Guests, sponsors, plungers and athletes huddled together on what was a freezing, overcast morning at Wet n’ Wild Emerald Pointe, to take the next plunge! Once again, the participants successfully raised enough funds to support nearly 40,000 Special Olympics North Carolina athletes and Interscholastic Unified Sports programs in schools across the state.
About SONC
Special Olympics North Carolina is a charity on a mission to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition to a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults living with intellectual disabilities. The charity aims to create an inclusive community where people with and without disabilities can make connections. Donations from the Polar Plunge fundraiser will help provide continuing opportunities for individuals to develop physical fitness, experience joy, demonstrate courage and develop confidence.
Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe
Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe is one of the largest waterparks in North Carolina and features more than 40 water rides, slides and attractions within its 41-acre grounds. The park, which is usually closed during the winter months, was brought to life for this very special fundraising event. Adam Good, Wet n’ Wild Emerald Pointe’s General Manager described the Polar Plunge Fundraiser as, “a great way (to) use our facility to help give back to our community.”
Being able to enjoy one of the Group’s parks should be something accessible to all members of society. That is why our parks make a particular effort to guarantee that people at risk of social exclusion and people with disabilities have the opportunity to enjoy the entertainment they offer and collaborate with local and national associations and foundations that work in those areas. The Triad Chilli Polar Plunge is proof that we do put our words into action, all for the sake of creating a better future for everyone. The splashing and cheering at Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe may now be silent until the popular water park opens its doors to the public again in May, but the impact of the Triad Chilli Polar Plunge event will continue to benefit children from Special Olympics North Carolina for many years ahead.
