Preteen Megan Flowers still gets chills when she thinks about the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. Flowers competed last year, braving the 60-degree water at Aquatica in Orlando for her Plant City-based team Warriors at Heart. This year she will compete again. But, first she and her team have to raise $500 before Feb. 1.
“We really want Plant City to be involved in this kind of stuff,” Sharon Flowers, who started Warriors at Heart with her cousin Megan, said.
Megan had friends help her swim to the end before she ran to Sharon and gave her a wet bear hug.
“They say it’s not that cold, but once you go in the deep it feels like you’re in the arctic,” Megan said. “That cold that hit my chest — I couldn’t breathe. I’m more of a summer girl.”
Joining her team this year is special olympian Jamie Clopton, who has played volleyball for three years.
“I ain’t scared because I was born in Ohio,” Clopton said.
Also on the team are Megan’s mother and father, Florence and Kevin Flowers. Every person has to raise $100 to participate in the plunge Feb. 7. So far, they’ve raised only $108 from their own pockets and a yard sale fundraiser.
To help secure the rest of the donations, Warriors at Heart will be having a karaoke contest at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30. There will be a silent auction, raffles, dancing and the event is family friendly. A $5 cover will help support the team.
In addition to money, the team is trying to also secure military-style costumes to wear. Each team at Polar Plunge dresses up in corresponding gear, such as superheroes, Disney, characters or even the Blues Brothers.
Sharon picked a military theme because she has a special passion for the armed forces. In the past, she has made care boxes to send overseas and participates in Wreaths Across America. She started Warriors at Heart with Megan to help the troops. But in the two years since its inception, it has grown to participate in Special Olympics and Relay for Life.
“It’s really a lot of fun,” Sharon said. “I just love helping people and seeing smiles on faces. I’m just trying to make a difference in the world. Someone needs to.”
Megan was just 11 when she and Flowers first brainstormed the idea for the group while driving in a pickup truck. She was the youngest volunteer at Special Olympics last year.
“I’ve been supportive about it,” Florence said. “It’s good for her to be involved. If I can’t go to an event, then I let her go with Sharon because I want her to be there.”
But the group has had trouble having a turnout in participation and donations. For this year’s Wreaths Across America, nobody donated to the group in six months.
“We want businesses to get involved with Special Olympics, we want to make it bigger,” Sharon said.
Karaoke Night Fundraiser for Polar Plunge
When: 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30
Where: Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse Grill, 106 State Road 60 E.
Info: A $5 cover and proceeds from raffles and a silent auction will go the Warriors at Heart Polar Plunge team for Special Olympics. There will also be dancing and it will be a family-friendly event.
For information on donating to the Warriors at Heart Polar Plunge team for Special Olympics call Sharon at (813) 764-6440 or visit WarriorsAtHeart.org to donate directly.