An amazing character trait of Country Music Superstar, Jo Dee Messina, is just how down-to-earth and genuine Jo Dee is, even in the limelight of being the first female to have three hit singles from the same album and having sold over 5 million of her records worldwide. Yes, Jo Dee’s magnetic personality and caring nature was more than evident, as she sat down to meet with the 2015 Special Olympics Illinois Athlete of the Year, Brooke Ingram, this past Friday, July 3rd, before performing at Charleston’s Red, White, and Blue Days concert. For Brooke and her family, not sure of what to expect, the encounter was exceptional, as Jo Dee spent more than 20 minutes conversing with Brooke, despite other fans waiting for her attention. Jo Dee asked Brooke about her Special Olympics experiences, favorite interests, and summer plans, and although a little star-struck at times, Brooke happily shared her thoughts and feelings about being honored as the Special Olympics Illinois Athlete of the Year.
When asked about how she became involved with Special Olympics, Jo Dee smiled and explained, “I was just driving outside of Nashville one day and saw the Special Olympics event signs along the road, so I started to follow. When I finally came to the event, they needed volunteers for the day, so I got involved”. Jo Dee became an official Special Olympics ambassador in 2004.

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On April 4th, 2015, Illinois State Police District 12 hosted its 17th Annual Lake Sara Dam Run and raised $4,000.00 to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. According to the run’s organizer and one of the founders, Ruth Rhodes, 630 runners and walkers joined at the Lake Sara Pavilion on that beautiful Saturday morning to participate in the 8 mile run, the 5K run, and the 5K walk. Although 5K runs and walks are common, the Lake Sara Dam Run has a unique 8 mile run, which Ruth explained, “The run was originally started as a fundraiser for the Effingham DUI Taskforce to raise awareness about the legal limit for driving under the influence of alcohol, 0.08. We thought 8 miles would be different and draw interest in the run. After a few years of hosting the event, the DUI Taskforce of Effingham County was no longer needed, so we agreed to donate the proceeds to Special Olympics.”
The Illinois State Police has always been active in the planning, preparations, and day-of volunteer needs to ensure that the Lake Sara Dam Run is truly the best little Dam Run in Illinois. In fact, Rhodes reported that “almost 90% of the volunteers were retired Illinois State Police. We did have a boost in support from the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department this year, as their new Chief, Dave Mahan, was a former ISP Trooper and organizer of the event”.

Online registration has opened for one of the coolest events of the winter – the 2015 Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge® to benefit Special Olympics Illinois! Individuals and teams can register for the Plunge on the Special Olympics Illinois website at http://www.plungeillinois.com.

It’s not every day that people are willing to “go jump in a lake” – particularly in the winter – let alone do so with thousands of other people, including members of the law enforcement community. But that’s exactly what will happen on Saturday, February 28th at the Lake Sara Beach in Effingham, as part of the annual Polar Plunge presented by GEICO.

Mark your calendars, gather your friends, and prepare to jump into fun for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.
Event information:
2015 Polar Plunge Lake Sara, Effingham – Saturday, February 28th, 2015 starting with check-in at 10:30am. Contact: Vanessa Duncan, 217-345-2424 or by email at vduncan@soill.org.




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The 2014 Law Enforcement Torch Run Leg 16 kicked off in Effingham, Illinois at the Old County Courthouse on Wednesday, June 11, 2014. Troopers from the Illinois State Police Headquarters of District 12, along with athletes from the Special Olympics Effingham County Lightning started off the 26.8 mile run to Mattoon, IL, carrying the Flame of Hope. ISP troopers arrived at the McDonald's in Mattoon to hand off the torch to Mattoon Police Department Deputy Chief, Jason Taylor, who along with other Mattoon Police Officers, completed the Torch Run leg ending at the Mattoon City Hall.