Team Fundraising Page of With Love From Tori

Why I Plunge When my daughter Tori was 12 years old, her favorite movie was Pay It Forward. Long before life tested her, she believed deeply in kindness, in leveling the playing field, and in doing what you could to make the world better for someone else. After Tori was struck by an impaired driver, our lives were altered forever. She was rendered quadriplegic and lived in a minimally conscious state. In those darkest days, an incredible community wrapped itself around our family, lifting us, supporting us, and reminding us that love shows up in action. We vowed that when it was our turn, we would pay it forward in Tori’s name. When Tori passed on November 1, 2022, we carefully donated each piece of her durable medical equipment to places where it could do the most good—because that is exactly what she would have wanted. In June of 2023, her customized beach wheelchair was donated to a residential group home. Several residents there had always participated in the Penguin Plunge, but those who used wheelchairs had never been able to join them. On January 1, 2024, I was sitting at home watching the evening news when I saw footage of the Special Olympics Penguin Plunge. There, on my television screen, was my daughter’s donated wheelchair being pushed into the ocean—carrying a young woman whose dream of plunging alongside her housemates had finally come true. I cried bittersweet tears. On January 1, 2025, I stood in the cold alongside that same team and helped push that same chair—and that same young woman—into the ocean myself. This is why I plunge. Because sometimes the heart shatters and the heart swells at the very same time. My heart shatters knowing my daughter isn’t here to see this. But it swells with pride knowing she would be so happy that her chair—once so essential to her life—is now creating joy, inclusion, and possibility for someone else. This plunge is for Tori. This plunge is for inclusion. This plunge is for paying it forward—again and again, with love from Tori. If my daughter’s story moves you, I invite you to join me in supporting Special Olympics. Your donation helps ensure that everyone—regardless of ability—has the chance to belong, to participate, and to experience moments of pure joy and courage. Together, we can turn compassion into action and make sure no one is left on the shore.