FAQs
Beary White has you covered!
The MSP Polar Bear Plunge is chalked full of exciting opportunities. Beary wants to make sure that you have all of the answers leading up to the Plunge. If there is something that you have a question about that is not listed below, shoot us a message at events@somd.org.
Reschedule
- Super Plunge – March 18th-19th
- Cool Schools Plunge: March 24th
- Police and Corporate Plunge: March 25th
- Maryland Plunge: March 26th
Since Maryland is now in a 30-day state of emergency and COVID cases continue to rise, we know that we need to act in the best interest of our Plunger’s health and the community at large. While this is certainly not what we hoped for, we know that it’s the best and, honestly, the only decision given the situation and our concern for everyone’s well-being.
In-Person Plunge
Yes- maks will be required inside tents and on shuttles coming to/from the Plunge. Masks will be required at all times at the Cool Schools Plunge, except when Plunging.
At this time no, but this is subject to change. Please continue to check your emails for any updates.
NO! We want to ensure the safety of all our Plungers, so please plan to Plunge virtually.
Virtual Plunge
Submit your Virtual Plunge video through social media or email in order to be considered for our Plunger of the Year competition. See steps on how to submit below:
Step 1: Follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
Step 2: Film your Plunge whether at home or while at Sandy Park
Step 3: Post on social media and tag us @PlungeMD (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or by emailing somdcomm@gmail.com by April 1st at 11:59PM
Step 4: Tune in on April 4th to see if your video has been selected to be part of the 2022 Plunger of the Year competition
The beauty of the Plunge being virtual this year is that you can Plunge anytime you want! Do your at-home Plunge anytime from now until April 1st, 2022!
Registration
When you register for a Registration with a Fundraising event, we’ll automatically generate a fundraising page for you so friends and family can donate. This support article will walk you through how to purchase a registration and claim your fundraising page. Please follow these directions when signing up for the Plunge on our Classy fundraising page.
After you create a fundraising page, you can edit its details and personalize the content. Learn how to edit your personal fundraising page. Learn more here!
Read this article and review tips from Classy about logging into your fundraising page.
Learn how to change your password or reset a forgotten password here!
When you create an account in Classy, you’ll enter contact information such as your name and email. Learn how to edit the contact information for your Classy account. Learn more here!
When you fundraise for an organization using Classy, you can create a fundraising team and invite other supporters of the organization to combine your efforts. Learn how to create a fundraising team here!
When you fundraise for an organization using Classy, you can join fundraising teams to combine your efforts with other supporters of the organization. Learn how to join a fundraising team here!
After you create a team fundraising page, you can edit its details and personalize the content. Learn how to edit your team fundraising page. Learn more here!
When you create a team fundraising page, you can invite others to join your team. Learn how to invite team members. Learn more here!
Yes. This just needs to be done on the administrative side, so in order to request such a change, please email plunge@somd.org with the following info:
- Participant's first and last name
- The exact name of the team you wish to join
If you simply want to let us know that you are no longer attending, there is no need. We expect a certain % of no-shows each year and plan accordingly. If you paid the minimum $75 contribution to Special Olympics Maryland, we appreciate the donation, as do the SOMD athletes who will benefit from the funds raised at the MSP Polar Bear Plunge. Because it is a charitable contribution, it is non-refundable even if you are unable to participate.
Donations & Fundraising
Teams are not required to raise any specific amount. However, every team member still must raise a minimum of $75 to Plunge ($50 for Cool Schools).
There really isn’t a set level for teams, as we have some teams of two that raise $30,000 and some teams of 50 that only raise $3,750. We ask that everyone raise at least $75 per person (our fundraising minimum - $50 for Cool Schools), but the more you raise the more you support the 6,102 athletes of Special Olympics Maryland.
Without a direct page link:
- Go to the Plunge Property website that the Plunger is signed up for (Maryland, Cool Schools, Police, Corporate, Super)
- Click the search button at the top right of the page
- Type in the Plungers name in the search bar
- Click their page link in the search results below
- On the following page, click the Donate button on the Plungers fundraising page
- Follow the donation transaction prompts
With a direct link:
- Click on the provided link (this is the URL of the Plungers fundraising page
- Click the Donate button on the Plungers fundraising page
- Follow the donation transaction prompts
Learn how to resend yourself a receipt as a supporter of an organization using Classy here!
Special Olympics Maryland or “SOMD”. Include in the memo area of the check the Plunger's name or the name of the team that is to be credited.
A site administrator from our office has to move that for you. Requests can also be emailed to plunge@somd.org with the following info:
- Donor's first and last name
- The donation amount you wish moved
- Where you want the donation moved to either your team name or another participant
Once completed, SOMD will send a confirmation email indicating the change has been made.
Donors can do one of the following:
- Call Sue Jacobs at 410-242-1515 ext 104 and make a donation via the phone using a major credit card
- Write a check for Special Olympics Maryland or SOMD and mail it to:
- Special Olympics Maryland
Attn: 2022 Plunge
3701 Commerce Drive, Suite 103
Baltimore, MD 21227 - Include in the memo area of the check the Plunger's name or the name of the team that is to be credited.
- Allow at least 5 business days from the date that the check arrives at SOMD for the donation amount to be reflected in a participant's online fundraising total.
- Special Olympics Maryland
- Drop off the donation to SOMD Headquarters at the above address
Donations to the Plunge are accepted year-round, but to qualify for incentives you must have your donation submitted/mailed by April 30, 2022. They can be mailed or delivered to:
Special Olympics Maryland
Attn: 2022 Plunge
3701 Commerce Drive, Suite 103
Baltimore, MD 21227
Include the Plunger's name or the name of the team that is to be credited.
Donations to the Plunge are accepted year-round, but to qualify for incentives you must have your donation submitted/mailed by April 30, 2022 and simply need to be mailed or delivered to:
Special Olympics Maryland
Attn: 2022 Plunge
3701 Commerce Drive, Suite 103
Baltimore, MD 21227
Charitable contributions are non-refundable, and the minimum Plunge registration fee is considered a charitable contribution and is therefore also non-refundable.
As a donor, you're able to cancel your recurring donation via your Supporter Dashboard. Learn how to access your Supporter Dashboard and cancel your recurring donation. Learn more here!
Donations will not appear on a Plungers page until SOMD Plunge staff received and enters the donation online.
Special Olympics Maryland is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. To claim a donation as a deduction on your U.S. taxes, please keep your email donation receipt as your official record. We'll send it to you upon successful completion of your donation.
Yes. Complete a request with your employer, and they will send us your donation information to verify. Once we receive the funds, we will apply the donation to your fundraising page. Not sure if your company matches gifts? Click here to find out!
Thanking your donors is crucial and Classy allows for an easy user experience to thank your supporters. Learn more here!
After you create a fundraising page, you can post updates to keep your donors engaged with your progress. Learn how to post updates to your fundraising page. Learn more here!
Sharing your fundraising page is easy and critical to reaching your fundraising goal. Learn about the different sharing options available to you as a fundraiser. Learn more here!
If you used the Classy for Facebook integration for the 2021 Plunge, you will most likely have to renew the Special Olympics Maryland app within your Facebook account before setting up the connection on your fundraising page. The instructions for how to renew the app can be found on this FAQ page under the heading “I’m seeing an error when creating a page. How do I fix it?” at the very bottom of the page. If you are still experiencing connection issues, please contact somdcomm@gmail.com.
More information on Classy for Facebook can be found on this page.