Detective plunges to raise awareness for Special Olympics

LeAnn Whitney is participating in the Seattle Polar Plunge for the fourth time this year.

By Leah Abraham • February 7, 2017 10:06 am

One Renton detective is plunging herself to raise awareness for the Special Olympics, and she’s doing it almost 21 times.

Detective LeAnn Whitney of the Renton Police Department is taking part in the Seattle Polar Plunge, a fundraising effort organized by law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The plunge aims to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics.

Scheduled for Feb. 3-4, participants will be diving into the icy waters at Golden Gardens Park in Ballard.

And since Whitney likes to take things one step further, she’s participating in the Super Plunge — the ultimate test of strength and decision as participants will plunge every half hour from dawn to dusk (approximately from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Feb. 3. That’s about 21 plunges in a day.

This isn’t her first time she’s plunging for the cause — it’s her fourth.

“It’s going to be a fun day, but a long day,” Whitney said, reflecting on the daunting task in front of her.

And despite admitting that she’s “nervous” and “jittery,” Whitney said it’s a rewarding experience.

“I don’t have a family member or anybody directly connected with me with special needs or disabilities,” she said. “But I love that the message of unity that Special Olympics support and pushes out there — that no matter what disabilities one might have, they should have the opportunity to be able to compete in sporting events.”

In order to do the Super Plunge, Whitney had to raise a minimum of $1,500. As of Jan. 30, she had raised $1,795, placing her in the top five of fundraisers for the event. About 90 percent of the donations came from Renton officers because “they rather donate money than jump into the water.”

“Through these events, the [Special Olympics] athletes and families don’t pay anything,” she said. “It takes $650 to support one athlete in one year. So just by me raising a minimum of $1,500… and to know that it takes $650 to support an athlete, to give them an opportunity to play sports, learn teamwork, to build friendships with people… it’s rewarding. I’m by it.”

The plunge isn’t the only avenue where Whitney supports the Special Olympics. She’s also the department representative for Special Olympics, and have helped organize evens including Tip a Cop and Run with the Cops 5k.

On Saturday, Whitney plans on heading back as the Super Plungers kick off the main plunge. She’ll also be diving into the Sound a second time in uniform with the law enforcement wave as well. Talk about an icy, wet weekend.

“It’s not always in this profession you get that feeling of making a difference in some person’s life,” she said. “You think money is something that’s meaningless, but it makes such a difference in these athlete’s life… it’s an incredible opportunity for them. It’s making a difference in their lives. That is an awesome feeling.”