Round Lake officer to ride Whizzer 11 hours for Special Olympics

Roller coasters don't particularly thrill Round Lake police Officer Eric Wang but he's a sucker for a good cause.

So on Sunday morning, he'll once again strap in for a marathon ride on the Whizzer, a mainstay coaster that has been in operation at Six Flags Great America since the park opened in 1976.

"Really, I'm not a huge roller coaster fan," he said. "(But) I think I can overcome my lack of passion to help a special athlete."

Last year, Wang rode the Whizzer for about nine consecutive hours, making 117 loops of the 3,100-foot long track to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.

He stopped at that point for a simple reason.

"Basically, that's when they closed," Wang said. "I stayed until the last ride."

"It was fun. The really cool thing was to be able to interact with all the park patrons. I actually ran into people I hadn't seen for years."

The effort raised about $1,700. Wang is back this year to try and break his own record and raise even more. His fundraising page is firstgiving.com/coastercruise2010.

Six Flags has worked with Special Olympics on other events, too. Last year was the first ride-a-thon and Wang has become the designated rider.

"Eric is our signature coaster rider for the event. It's him for 11 straight hours," said Meredith Kelleher, a Six Flags spokeswoman.

"Basically, he gets on and people donate to keep him on the ride all day."

Special Olympics is the charity of choice for law enforcement in Illinois and encompasses a variety of activities, including polar plunges, Cops on a Rooftop and the like under its "Torch Run" moniker.

About $2.7 million is expected to be raised in 2010 from law enforcement-related activities, according to Special Olympics Illinois.

On Sunday, Wang will buckle up at 10 a.m. and hopes to make it until 9 p.m.

"A Very Special Day" also includes demonstrations by about 100 Special Olympics athletes. Athletes 3-6 years old will navigate an obstacle course at 11 a.m.; other athletes will have a soccer demonstration at 1 p.m. and a basketball demonstration at 3 p.m. - all in the Hometown Square.

Six Flags is at Grand and Milwaukee avenues in Gurnee.

Discounted park tickets are available at soill.org/ for $28 with $10 going to the nonprofit organization.

The Whizzer is 70 feet tall and reaches a speed of 45 miles per hour.

"It's a little more gentle. It's got some nice turns but it doesn't go upside down or anything like that," Kelleher said.

A ride takes two minutes and 30 seconds, so Wang should easily break the century mark for number of rides. Any strategy, Officer Wang?

"Stay hydrated and stay cool," he said.