“That will be my Quinn someday,” said Katelyn Chase when thinking about all of the athletes she has met through the Special Olympics MA Polar Plunge. The Polar Plunge is about more than just fundraising and freezing cold water. Taking the Plunge is about bringing awareness to communities by showing them what Special Olympics Massachusetts is and who our athletes are. Parents like Katelyn Chase and Maggie Kelly are the backbone of the Polar Plunge, as they work each year to bridge the Special Olympics movement with their local community. 

Maggie, resident of Hull Massachusetts, was not quite sure what to expect after receiving her daughter Adelaide’s Down Syndrome diagnosis. “We were kind of figuring it out. We didn’t know much about it,” she said. Soon after, Maggie found out she would not be going through this journey alone. 

One of Maggie’s friends from town, Katelyn, was also expecting a little girl, Quinn, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.  

“It’s just such a small town and there are going to be two little girls in the same grade going through the school system both with Down Syndrome,” said Maggie. 

Both mothers had heard of the Polar Plunge, as one event takes place annually at Nantasket Beach. The Polar Plunge is a Special Olympics fundraiser which brings acceptance, unity, and fun to communities across the state. After admiring Plunges from afar for quite some time, Maggie thought “Why not jump for a cause that is close to my heart?” Maggie then reached out to Katelyn who, without hesitation, wanted in on the fun.   

That is when team Swim for Quinn, Freeze for Addy Louise was born. The team has plunged at Nantasket Beach from 2019 to the present—raising more than $50,000 for Special Olympics MA. According to Maggie and Katelyn, the team is all about having fun and being proud of who you are. 

The team’s Plunge day consists of a hair braiding party, an early breakfast all together, towel holders, cheerleaders from the sidelines and even an after party. If you are looking for Swim for Quinn, Freeze for Addy Louise this season, you can find them on the shores of Nantasket Beach on February 24th—likely sporting colorful tutus.  

Everyone on the team looks forward to both the competition factor of raising money for Special Olympics MA as well as the festivities that go on throughout Plunge day.  

 According to Maggie, taking part in the Polar Plunge has also brought her closer to the Special Olympics MA community. “It is just a nice community to be a part of. There is kind of a bit of pride in doing this.”  

 The team has continued to grow and has expanded the opportunities for new community members to get involved.  

 “We started off so small and these girls have truly changed the town in some weird way” Katelyn explained. “I did not expect it to get this big... I think it has been really eye opening for the town to bring awareness of differences and abilities.” 

 Maggie agreed and elaborated that, “I think the town gets to see all these people and sometimes it takes the ‘scary’ part of special needs away...Their abilities are just the same as ours, so seeing all of us run into the water just erases those differences.” 

 And the COOLest part? The team is primarily made up of young kids. As she held back tears, Maggie explained, “Last year I sent a picture to their school, because all the kids go to the same school, and I just wrote to the principal that ‘these kids raised $22,000 dollars.’”  

  By forming Swim for Quinn, Freeze for Addy Louise, these two mothers paved the way not only for their daughters, but other young children in the area— ensuring a more inclusive and accepting community.