Five Hampton Roads communities conducted polar plunge events to fundraise for a good cause.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is stretching far and wide, affecting daily operations at all levels of an organization. This year, Special Olympics Virginia turned its annual Polar Plunge into a #PlungeYourWay initiative to support more than 23,000 athletes. DF Multifamily, a division of Drucker + Falk (DF), and five Hampton Roads communities wasted no time to jump at the opportunity to support the Special Olympics.
“Drucker + Falk places a large emphasis on our apartment communities and team members giving back to the causes of their choice on an ongoing basis,” says Deidre Brown, Director of Multifamily Management for Drucker + Falk. “Watching these communities come together to support this special cause and have fun while doing it was truly inspiring. Initiatives like this one set a great example for all of our employees, our residents, and for our overarching communities. Like with all acts of kindness, we hope it catches on and we can see these philanthropic efforts supported by more and more of our communities throughout the country.”
Community and corporate employees jumped into onsite pools and helped to fundraise for the event. All five communities—The Choices at Holland Windsor, Compass at City Center, Kingstowne Apartments, Ellipse Urban Apartments, and Venture iN Tech Center—raised more than $3,500. In total, the Polar Plunge has raised more than $845,000 for Special Olympics Virginia athletes this year.
"These charitable efforts mean so much when they are generated at the community level,” says Tarra Secreast, CAM, CAPS, Director of Marketing + Property Development. “It was incredible seeing and sharing in the excitement of the onsite team members who participated, and we loved the interest it generated from so many residents as well. We hope to see more and more of these types of campaigns and fundraising efforts pop up across all of our communities and look forward to seeing what impact we can have collectively in 2021."