Friday, Jan. 09, 2009

City manager enters friendly wager to raise funds for Special Olympics

Olathe City Manager Michael Wilkes is taking the plunge for Special Olympics — maybe.

If a team of city employees succeeds in out-fundraising Wilkes by $10,000, he’ll take a swim at this month’s Polar Plunge, Jan. 31 at Shawnee Mission Park Lake.

If they fail, he stays dry.

Money raised by Wilkes will go directly to the Olathe Trailblazers, Olathe’s Special Olympics team. Money raised by his competitors will benefit Kansas Special Olympics.

The Polar Plunge is an annual fundraising effort sponsored by Kansas Special Olympics.

Special Olympics in an international year-round program of sports training, education and competition for more than 1 million children and adults with disabilities.

Wilkes said he was approached by Olathe Police Department Det. Jeff Bragg with the idea for the challenge. For several years, Bragg has raised money for Special Olympics, organizing a similar challenge last year between the police and fire departments.

“The hook for me is all the money I raise goes straight to Olathe’s programs, to help all our athletes,” Wilkes said. “We’ve sent them to the World Special Olympics and Nationals and had a number of folks win medals. That’s hopefully something people will feel motivated to give to, to help our athletes compete in the games and have special experiences in their lives.”

Wilkes said he’s working hard so he won’t have to plunge into the icy lake. So far, he’s raised close to $4,000.

The team of 20 “plungers” has raised about $800 so far, Bragg said. At this point, Wilkes has a good chance of staying dry, but that won’t stop Team Olathe from continuing to solicit funds.

“It’s all in good fun and a good way to raise awareness and some good money for the Special Olympics,” Bragg said. “Special Olympics is a great cause.”

Police across the nation have been involved with Special Olympics for years, Bragg said, including such fundraisers as Tip-A-Cop, Cops on Tops and the annual Torch Run, which is the largest grassroots fundraising effort in the world.

Last year, the Torch Run raised $34 million worldwide for Special Olympics.

“I help to promote the programs and athletes who participate,” Bragg said. “You see the benefit from the athletes’ point of view when you hand them medals. It’s a rewarding experience all around.”

Olathe’s Special Olympics coordinator Sue Elliott said the efforts of Wilkes and other city employees is “just awesome.”

“Though there is a trickle-down effect from the state, we still have a lot of expenses to cover,” she said. “All the money (Wilkes raises) will go straight to the athletes. There will be no fees or salary taken out.”

The team continues to grow and currently has 248 athletes, Elliott said.

“We just started our basketball (Wednesday night),” she said. “We had 12 new athletes out for that. Our numbers are getting huge. With his money going directly to the Trailblazers, it means we’ll have a few less dollars we have to raise.”

Elliott said the city has done well in making the quality of life the same for all residents in Olathe, regardless of disability, and Special Olympics is just one part of that effort.

“We don’t want someone with a disability to have a lesser quality of life than someone without one,” she said. “That’s one of the things I, as a city employee, am most proud of. To work for an organization that values life the way the city does.

“They’ve always bent over backwards for people with special needs. Everyone’s an equal in the eyes of the city of Olathe, which is just awesome.”

Elliott said she is rallying behind Wilkes to help him boost his total so he won’t have to get wet.

“I want to see him raise money for the city of Olathe,” she said. “He’s our hero right now, so I’ll do my best to keep him dry. The dryer he is, the more money in Olathe’s Special Olympics pot.”

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