Businesses from across Wales made a big splash at a top Welsh theme park this weekend by raising £7,150 for the Special Olympics UK National Summer Games in Cardiff on June 30.
Eleven teams took the plunge - and got totally soaked - at the Special Olympics Water Challenge on Saturday by conquering four of the theme park's white knuckle rides while holding full buckets of water - including Megafobia, The Bounce, The Waterfall and Snake River Falls!
The aim of the wet and wild charity fundraiser was to collect as much water as possible in the team's own tub - and to use special extra score cards to gain more points.
The sum raised was then doubled by Sir Julian Hodge, bringing the total made for the Special Olympics to over £14,000. Local teams included The Barclays Beach Bums from Barclays Bank in Haverfordwest and Oakwood's own catering team.
Said Oakwood Park Sales and Marketing Manager Pamela Joseph: "Over the past three years, Oakwood has been actively involved in the development of better disabled sports and water sports provision in Wales through sponsorship schemes and showcase events both on and off park. There is a strong synergy between Oakwood's disabled sports programme and The Special Olympics and so we are proud to support the event by hosting this Special Olympics Water Challenge."
Trevor Gough, Executive Games Director, added: "We are grateful to all the management and staff at Oakwood for helping us have such fun while we raised money. Thanks also to the businesses and organisations who put teams together."
The Oakwood Park Challenge is just part of the fundraising campaign which aims to raise the £500,000 needed to stage the Special Olympics UK National Summer Games. The money will go towards supporting the Special Olympics which will attract 2,500 competitors from all over the UK. The Games are an important event in the UK and one which will raise awareness of disability sport throughout the Principality.
The Special Olympics UK national Games will take place in Cardiff from July 28 to August 3. More than 2,500 athletes with a learning disability , 1,000 coaches/escorts and up to 10,000 supporters are expected to descend upon the city to take part in the largest multi-sport event in the UK this year.