Along with blustery winds and cold temperatures, Saturday afternoon brought 1,100 people out to Olin-Turville Park to jump into near-freezing Lake Monona for the Special Olympics’ Polar Plunge. Event organizers say a large student turnout helped Saturday’s event raise more than $109,000 and made this year the most successful Madison-area plunge in its four-year history.
This year was the most successful in the plunge’s history, according to development associate of the Special Olympics Jason Childress, the event’s planner. The event began in La Crosse, Wis., when Special Olympics employees realized people had been jumping into freezing water just for fun for years. They then decided there must be a way to make a fundraiser out of it, Childress said. The event spread the next year to Madison, with 200 plungers, and then to other parts of the state. There are currently eight plunge locations in Wisconsin.
At the event, participants waited for their turn and plunged in, staying in only long enough to get out. After plunging, participants went straight to hot tubs and then to heated changing tents.
“It wasn’t too bad; the waiting in the wind and cold to jump in was the worst part,” UW sophomore Andy Smith said.
This year, according to Childress, there was a much larger turnout of students than in past years.
“I think all of Ogg was here. They go in groups when they jump, and it was one group from Ogg after another for quite awhile,” Childress said. “They did a little Ogg dance when then jumped.”
Childress gave credit to residence halls, sororities, fraternities and the marketing honor society, Mu Kappa Tau, for getting students involved.
“It was like one person from a (student) group came last year and jumped, then went back and convinced the rest of the group to come this year,” Childress said.
Mu Kappa Tau was highly involved with letting students know about the event, Childress said. They made posters and had informational booths to help raise awareness of the event.
The fee to plunge was five dollars, but participants were encouraged to raise additional money. Participants who raised more than $60 won a free sweatshirt.
The event raises money for 1,200 local Special Olympics athletes, and many of the supporters of the plunge also help with the Special Olympic track and field events in May, Childress said. She also added that the Wisconsin State Patrol has been a long-time supporter of the plunge and the track and field events in the spring.
Many of the sponsors initially become involved in the program by attending an event, Childress said.
“As people come and see the event, they tend to want to get involved. Almost every year after the plunge we have more people wanting to get involved,” Childress said.
The best part of this year’s plunge, according to Childress, was the increased student involvement.
“The real success was the student involvement,” Childress said. “Last year we only raised $73,000, so it was a huge increase.”
Some students, including UW Sophomore Kristin Setz, participated in the plunge last year and came back this year to do it again.
“I did it last year, too, and I remember it being cold, just not this cold,” Setz said. “It’s for a good cause, and it’s fun. I’m glad I did it.”
