[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          TRIBUTE TO DAN RATH

 Ms. HASSAN. Madam President, I am honored to recognize Dan 
Rath of Spofford as February's Granite Stater of the Month. For the 
past 22 years, Dan has led a team--the Frozen Sections--in Special 
Olympics New Hampshire's Penguin Plunge at Hampton Beach.
  Special Olympics New Hampshire works to foster inclusion for people 
of all ages with intellectual disabilities by enabling them to 
participate in sports. The yearly Penguin Plunge, where participants 
raise money and plunge in frigid Hampton Beach waters in early 
February, serves as a way to fundraise for Special Olympics New 
Hampshire's various programs. When Dan's wife showed him an ad to 
participate in the Penguin Plunge in 2001, he knew he had to sign up. 
Not only had Dan been a special education teacher for 4 years earlier 
in his career, but he also loved being in any type of body of water.
  After fundraising and plunging the first winter on his own, Dan began 
recruiting friends and people who he met through his job at Cheshire 
Medical Center. The recovery room nurses came up with a saying--``If 
you ain't plunging, you're pledging''--since if Dan couldn't convince 
someone to sign up for the Penguin Plunge with him, he usually could 
persuade them to at least donate instead.
  At 70 years old, Dan continues to lead an impressive group each year 
in taking the Penguin Plunge. This year, the 17 members of the Frozen 
Sections raised over $31,000 for Special Olympics NH. The highest 
fundraiser of the group was Becky May, who has been a Special Olympics 
athlete herself since the age of 5 and who raised more than $13,000 by 
driving across the State and knocking on doors to raise money.
  The other members of this year's Frozen Sections were: Cindy Bunszel, 
Patrick Moynihan, Aaron St. Peter, Trevor Hunt, Trent Hunt, Stacy 
Taylor, Kelly Erunski, Downey Page, Sean Craig, Taylor Woodward, Steve 
Hart, Cherie Rowe, Michelle Leavitt, Priscilla Jones, and Larry 
Welkowitz.
  I commend Dan, the Frozen Sections, and all Penguin Plunge 
participants in our State for submerging themselves in the frigid 
winter waters of Hampton Beach year after year in order to raise money 
for Special Olympics New Hampshire. Their hard work helps Granite State 
children and adults with intellectual disabilities to experience the 
joy and empowerment that comes with participating in a sport. Their 
commitment to making an impact in their communities is inspiring and a 
hallmark of the Granite State spirit, and I thank them for making New 
Hampshire a more inclusive place.

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