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PD Employees Take the Plunge for Special Olympics

     Jumping into a lake through a hole cut in the ice isn't exactly the best way to spend a Saturday in February, but that is exactly what 16 Leawood Police Department employees did on Feb. 2nd.  

     The group made the leap into Shawnee Mission Park's frozen over lake as part of the 2008 Polar Plunge to benefit the Kansas Special Olympics. This winter the employees set a goal of raising $2,500. When all fo the pledges were counted, they exceeded the goal by raising nearly $2,900. For several of the jumpers, this year's plunge was mild, with an air temperature in the upper 30s, compared to last year's dip when wind chills were near zero-degrees.

     Randy Rausch and Shawn Farris were the primary organizers for the event. The two, along with John Freeman and Mark Chudik, formed the department's first Polar Plunge team in 2005.   Many of the same participants will be hitting the pavement later this year as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run to continue raising funds for Special Olympics.

      The 2008 Polar Plungers (from left to right) Randy Rausch, Kelly Ratliff, Ben Slenker, Jerry Webb, Paul Atzenweiler, John Freeman, Jason Ahring, Lee Graves, Joe Peeples, Mark Chudik, Chris Hargis, Shawn Farris, Matt Schroeder, Laurel Njoroge, Erik Butler, Anne Wagoner and Christina Farquhar.

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