Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, was recognized for its outstanding contributions to Special Olympics Missouri at the recent 2015 SOMO Annual Awards Luncheon  in Branson. Each year, Special Olympics Missouri salutes those who have made significant contributions to the Special Olympics movement. Past honorees have included Missouri Association of Student Councils, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers and more.

 You might have heard of a little event we like to call the Polar Plunge (SOMO.org/Plunge). Three of our Plunges are at state parks in Kirksville, Cape Girardeau and Lake of the Ozarks.  Without the support of the Missouri State Parks, these Plunges would not be possible.

Not only do they provide the lakes to make this event possible, but they manage parking needs, staff serve on the planning committees, provide tents, the Show Mobile, rangers, people to set up and tear down the event and the marina at the Lake of the Ozarks to house our Super Plungers on their 24-hour plunging adventure.

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Lake of the Ozarks Polar Plunge and Missouri State Parks/DNR have been involved every year from the beginning. In the last 19 years, the Lake of the Ozarks event has raised $2.2 million! The Kirksville event started in 2006 and has raised $204,000 and the Cape Girardeau event began in 2007 and has raised $328,000. The overall impact these three events have had in the last 20 years is $2.7 million!

Through this partnership, the Governor’s 100 Missouri Miles was born in 2013 and kicked off at the Special Olympics State Summer Games which challenged our athletes to take part. Team Missouri used the Governor’s 100 Missouri Miles as a training tool for the 2014 USA Games with one athlete recording more than 1,000 miles.

In 2014, when we came to them with the idea to hold a 100-plus-mile, multi-day cycling event they did not hesitate to help with the planning and execution of our first Cycle for the Future.

The Missouri State Parks staff goes above and beyond to support Special Olympics and our athletes.

It is an honor to recognize the Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as our Award of Excellence winner for 2014.

Source: Special Olympics Missouri