ComEd Coolers Went Back to the Beach for Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities Polar Plunge
07 March 2023 - 5:25AM
Business Wire
ComEd employees have raised over $1.5 million
to support Special Olympians over last 12 years
Over 320 ComEd employees, friends and family members returned to
Chicago’s North Avenue Beach yesterday for the annual Chicago Polar
Plunge presented by Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s
Charities (SOC/SCC). For more than a decade, ComEd Coolers have
raised funds and plunged into Lake Michigan to support thousands of
athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities across
Chicago.
As part of the company’s “ComEd Coolers” team, ComEd employees
have raised more than $198,000, and are on track to raise more than
$200,000, for the 2023 Polar Plunge. Since ComEd started
participating in the Polar Plunge in 2011, nearly 5,000 employees
have raised more than $1.5 million to support this important
cause.
“The ComEd Coolers continue to be one of our largest and highest
fundraising teams year after year,” said Ray Barker, President,
Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities. “We are
thankful for ComEd’s continuous support and dedication to the
thousands of athletes that our programs serve, all of whom reside
in the city of Chicago. It is through the support of companies such
as ComEd, that we are able to offer year-round programming, events
and life-changing experiences to our athletes.”
Now in its 23rd year, the Chicago Polar Plunge supports
year-round sports competitions and recreational activities for
children and adults with developmental and intellectual
disabilities. SOC/SCC supports 17 athletic programs at 23 Chicago
Park District locations and over 150 Chicago Public Schools.
“At ComEd, we understand the importance of fostering inclusive
environments where people feel valued and empowered,” said Gil
Quiniones ComEd CEO. “I am proud that our employees show up
year after year to support Special Olympics Chicago athletes.
Taking the plunge for the first time alongside dedicated employees,
friends and families was an incredible experience.”
Linda Givand Rhodes, senior manager of customer assistance
and advocacy at ComEd, plunged into Lake Michigan for the third
time. Last year, Rhodes jumped into Lake Michigan by herself as the
COVID-19 pandemic kept the ComEd Coolers at home. Rhodes’ love for
sports and the camaraderie it creates amongst athletes is what
inspires her to jump into the icy waters of Lake Michigan year
after year.
“What I love about sports is not only the physical benefits, but
the emotional benefits as well. It provides an opportunity to build
teamwork skills and strengthen connections with other people,” said
Rhodes. “It would be a shame not to make something that I
personally value unavailable and inaccessible to everybody. Which
is why leading up to the plunge I focus on the meaning of the cause
instead of being cold for 10 minutes.”
The Chicago Polar Plunge is one of ComEd’s longstanding
commitments to give back to the communities it serves. In 2022,
ComEd employees supported a variety of initiatives including the
Special Olympics Chicago Polar Plunge, The American Heart
Association’s Heart Walks, and the ComEd Cause of the Year:
Addressing Food Insecurity. In total, ComEd employees volunteered
over 20,000 hours, supported 452 nonprofit organizations and raised
more than $1.5 million dollars for organizations throughout
northern Illinois.
For more information about ComEd’s commitment to supporting
communities throughout northern Illinois, visit
ComEd.com/Community.
ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon
Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company with
approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers –
the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives
of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70
percent of the state’s population. For more information visit
ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and YouTube.
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