Thousands gathered at the 11th annual Polar Plunge Saturday to brave the icy waters of Lake Monona in an effort to raise money for the Special Olympics of Wisconsin.
Madison Polar Plunge director John Weichelt estimated that 2,400 people took the plunge at Olin-Turville Park and raised around $430,000 for SOWI. The money goes toward providing programs for people with cognitive disabilities.
“It’s a really fast-growing event as far as charity events go,” Weichelt said. “It was up 500 people from last year, which is pretty amazing.”
Madison currently has the sixth largest turnout in the country for a Polar Plunge, according to Weichelt.
Participants created teams in advance and collected pledges from donors for submerging themselves in the frigid waters. Participants were able to register and collect pledges online beforehand.
Verona High School had the largest group at the event, setting a new national record for a team participating in a Polar Plunge with 225 members on the team.
“It does get younger — there are more college and high school students every year,” Weichelt said.
Jumpers agreed the plunge was worth it to raise money for a good cause, though many participants had additional motivations. Caleb Jordan, a student at Columbus High School, said he decided to participate with his classmates in an attempt to rival Verona High School’s record-setting team.
“I decided to jump because my friends were doing it. [The cause] was a good enough reason for me,” Jordan said. “I will definitely come back next year.”
Others said along with raising money, the Polar Plunge was a good opportunity for team building with co-workers or classmates.
Jeanne Cummings, University of Wisconsin freshman and Kappa Kappa Gamma member, added the jump was a good thing to check off her bucket list.
While waiting in line to jump into the freezing lake, plungers handled the anticipation in different ways. Some did jumping jacks to keep warm, others chanted and cheered to build up excitement, and a few huddled together, shivering from the cold.
A number of the plungers wore creative costumes ranging from Batman to male hula dancers and even cupid.
Weichelt said the most memorable costume he saw was a man wearing a black spandex leotard and high heels as a part of team “Alpha Male.” Many other participants opted to take a more minimalist approach, jumping in only swimsuits or boxers.
“There was a lot of skin,” Weichelt said.
Plunger Nick Ihde works for a rehabilitation center in Reedsburg whose clients participate in the Special Olympics. Ihde belly-flopped into the lake to collect pledges in their support.
“It’s something I’ll be proud to say I took a part in it,” Ihde said.
After the plunge, participants rushed to nearby hot tubs. Sara Pierce, UW freshman and Kappa Kappa Gamma member, said the second she got out of the water she was unable to speak.
“I was trying to say ‘Oh my God!’ but no words came out,” Pierce said. “I did not expect it, but it was a thrill. You felt alive.”
