Special Olympics is, well, pretty special. I recall very clearly when the Olympics were taking place in London in 2012, that my father specifically attended the Special Olympic events in town and was so moved by them. At the time, I did not know very much about Special Olympics, except for, of course, they assisted in inclusivity, which is always a good thing. But in truth, they are the world’s largest sports organization for intellectually and physically disabled children and adults. They were founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who tirelessly campaigned for people with intellectual disabilities and gave the world a stage for accepting and commending athletes who may have some physical or mental challenges.
From their early founding in 1968, the Special Olympics has served to break down barriers and boundaries by offering programs like Unified Sports, which bring athletes together. Move stage swiftly forward and the organization continues to do so much good work all over the world, including the symbiotic and long-standing partnerships that they have with prisons! Thousands of dollars are donated by prisons every year to the Special Olympics.
And this brings me to the unique relationship between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Special Olympics. Celebrating diversity is a core value for CDCR and one that is upheld in the local facility in Soledad. Counselor Dunaven explained that the Polar Plunge is something Special Olympics has done for many years on the outside with law enforcement agencies. “I decided to do an event here at the facility for the incarcerated persons to raise funds for Special Olympics. I’ve been helping with Special Olympics since 2016!”
I was invited to attend the first-ever CTF Polar Plunge on a brisk February morning at the Soledad campus. The incarcerated population who had signed up to participate had been invited to pre-order goodies and warm drinks for that morning — with all the proceeds going to the Special Olympics — and then many of them also walked through the “gateway” to the plunge (manufactured by the Vocations program from PVC pipe) via an adjacent cold hose to the cheers from the many others who were out there watching on the yard.
There was an air of festivity on the yard. The DJ was joking back and forth with the attendees and participants of the plunge. As one of the contestants stepped through the cold-water hose and commented that the water wasn’t that bad, the DJ commented that the participant was “cleansing his soul,” joking that someone should go and get the defibrillator. It was all good humored.
Associate Warden Nicolas Gonzalez was on site to cheer everyone on, transporting the Special Olympics torch to the event. Also in attendance was a Special Olympics local athlete, Jock Mayes, who escorted the correct flavor of the event to the yard, and a DJ played music to keep the mood up. It took a little while to get the hose working correctly — but this was their first plunge challenge, so all was forgiven.
“These programs will continue,” said Gonzalez. “I’d like to see more, where possible. The plant program, for example, is in its final stages of approval. The programs show that if you learn to reorganize yourself, then your decisions can become more beneficial to your future self. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) actively promotes partnerships with outside charities, and Special Olympics has received a commitment of support from our director,” Gonzalez went on to say. “At the Correctional Training Facility (CTF), we are dedicated to honoring that promise, fostering community engagement, and maximizing the positive impact we can have on both the organization and the individuals it serves.”
And you could see that this was true. On the yard that day, the participants in the Polar Plunge challenge were then allowed to groom themselves a little after their icy experience, most still wearing their damp white sneakers, remove their mandatory blue shirts and have photos of themselves taken inside enormous colorfully painted photo frames, decorated with Hallmark messages, such as “Thinking of You,” “Happy Birthday” and “Missing You” — reminding us that many have lives and loved ones outside the razor wire. The frames were constructed within the carpentry program, another reminder of the efforts to retrain and rehabilitate the presently incarcerated population.
“It’s esteem building,” noted Counselor Dunaven. “It gives the incarcerated population a sense of normality by getting to eat food not normally in the institution as well as participating for a good cause. The whole event gives them the gratification of giving back to others, as well as their community. It helps them feel a part of something outside of themselves.” A burly guy with facial tattoos held a feral cat in his arms (certainly no longer feral), as he stood in line for his photo, and I wished I was allowed to take a candid photo of that in that moment.
AW Gonzalez later informed me that the Warden has expressed enthusiasm for hosting a “Shave the Brave” fundraising event in conjunction with the incarcerated population and Special Olympics for the months ahead. Counselor Dunaven noted that there would be another fundraising event for Special Olympics at the beginning of June. “We have been doing the Flame of Hope event at the North Facility here since 2019!”
Regardless of your views on redemption and rehabilitation, it is heartwarming witnessing programs in action and under construction at CTF to assist the incarcerated population in giving them reasons to care, and things to care for. Whether it be a plant in the soon-to-be-a-reality plant program, or a dog in the TAILS program, or, as it was that day, a participant in fundraising for an international charity, one can only assume that these endeavors are a win-win situation for all — population, staff and charities alike.
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” —Special Olympics, Athlete Oath
