Polar Plunge and the R-Word Campaign

“I Pledge” Picture Campaign to Support Polar Plunge and the R-Word Campaign

Yoncalla High School student Taryn Lowes organized a picture campaign to stop the use of the R-word. When choosing her Senior Project, Lowes wanted it to be something she was passionate about that would make a difference in her community.

In 2009 she learned about the Polar Plunge at a leadership conference in Seaside. In 2010 she started a plunge team at her school, organized an assembly, and held a “pledge week” to have students sign the R-word pledge at lunch and collect donations. She has continued these events for the last few years and will take those events even farther this year. She plans to speak at surrounding schools and possibly in the Eugene area.

When asked what made her choose this project Lowes replied, “This project is more than just jumping into freezing water. It is supporting something I believe in, helping Special Olympics athletes, and helping to eliminate one of the many forms of bullying that students deal with on a daily basis.”

She had participated in Polar Plunge for the past two years and had a love for photography. She decided to combine her two passions and create a campaign that would reach out to people. She knew that this would be a huge task and enlisted the help of Chelsea Scott. 

Lowes realizes multimedia is a huge part of everyone’s lives and that by incorporating it, she would be able to reach more people with her project. She turned her previous Polar Plunge team Facebook page into a place to promote her campaign.

The campaign is a simple four step process…

1.      Choose to take the pledge not to use the R-word (retarded)

2.      Write “I Pledge” on your hand

3.      Take a picture of your hand

4.      Send the picture to takethepledgepics@gmail.com or upload it to The Believers Facebook page

Along with raising awareness about the R-word, she hopes to raise money for her Polar Plunge team. She has a goal to gather 1,000 pledges. If she can get every person who pledges to donate $1, she will reach her fundraising goal of $1,000.

If anyone would like to donate or participate in the campaign, you can send an Email to takethepledgepics@gmail.com or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/thebelievers.