Chatham-Kent residents are being asked to take the plunge in support of Special Olympics athletes across the province.
The ninth annual Polar Plunge is set to return to Sons of Kent Brewing Company on Saturday, January 17. The event encourages participants to raise money for the chance to jump into a pool of ice-cold water in the middle of winter. All money raised are donated to Special Olympics Ontario to fund programming and events for the organization’s 23,000 athletes.
Organizer Jason Herder said the local Polar Plunge has continued to grow year after year. He said Chatham-Kent’s fundraising efforts have made the event one of the top three or four Polar Plunges in Ontario for the past three years.
“It’s pretty wild how it’s caught on, and I’m really thankful for our community, the supporters we have for it, that make it all possible year after year,” said Herder.
Being one of Chatham-Kent’s biggest winter events, Herder said the Polar Plunge even inspires some participants to show off their creativity.
“We’ve had some pretty amazing costumes that we’ve seen jump into the pool in the past, so we have that aspect of it,” he said. “We do have some who try to challenge themselves to see how long they can stay in the pool, which is always interesting.”
Those who wish to participate can register online or in person prior to the event at 11 a.m. Registration is $40, or you can waive the fee by fundraising for the cause. The Polar Plunge will run from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., featuring a full afternoon of events that includes a live band, food trucks, and other entertainment.
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