August 28, 2020

Making Waves For Special Olympics Florida with the 99 Plunge Challenge

Each year, Special Olympics Florida hosts its famed Polar Plunge challenge where participants and supporters register a team and don swim gear to take the plunge into chilly waters across the state of Florida, including Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando. During these uncertain times, Special Olympics wanted to continue supporting its athletes and decided to make the challenge virtual this year, which gave communities a chance to engage and support Special Olympics Florida. Uproar was eager to join in the fun and help bring awareness to such a great cause.

This July was also Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s 99th birthday, who is the founder of Special Olympics. This created an opportunity to layer in a monumental moment with the beloved Polar Plunge. Uproar worked hand-in-hand with the Special Olympics team and brainstormed a special way to honor Kennedy, boost donations and increase participation in the Virtual Plunge Challenge. Uproar presented the 99 Plunge Challenge to the Special Olympics Florida team to add to the Virtual Plunge Challenge experience. The goal was to reach 99 new plunges throughout the month of July. Participants were encouraged to join in by simply sending in or posting a video of themselves creatively taking the plunge. The challenge ranged from participants jumping into a cold shower, filling a bathtub with ice cubes, jumping into a pool, plunging into the waves at the beach, and running through a sprinkler.

Uproar secured multiple interviews with Special Olympics Florida athletes across the state about why they were taking the plunge and to encourage their friends and family to join in and register. The athletes explained their experiences with Special Olympics Florida and how the organization has made a positive impact on their lives. Uproar also brought in various Special Olympics Florida representatives to help tell the story of how registering and plunging raises awareness for the organization and the impact it has.

Uproar was excited to “take the plunge” and did so by creating a corporate team for the agency to participate. The team raised $240 for Special Olympics Florida and garnered impactful media coverage along the way. With support from the Uproar team, the 99 Plunge Challenge came to life and resulted in powerful stories on popular news channels across the nation. More than 9 million viewers were reached, which had an impact on the plunge and brand. The Uproar team was delighted to support the organization.

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