Fox Lake Polar Plunge set for Feb. 26 at Lakefront Park
Be a fan of brrr-avery! Support Special Olympics athletes by jumping into the waters of Fox Lake at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.
The funds raised from the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge will benefit Special Olympics Illinois Northeastern/Area 13, which serves athletes with intellectual disabilities in Lake and McHenry counties.
All Polar Plungers are required to collect a minimum of $75 in donations before the check-in for the event at 11 a.m. Last-minute plungers are welcome to join.
There is advance registration from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at Lakefront Park, 71 Nippersink Blvd.
People are encouraged to come in costume and to form teams. Each team member must raise the minimum of $75 in donations; all team members’ individual fundraising totals will be merged to form a combined team total.
Statewide, teams are placed into divisions based on size and are awarded prizes for the most money raised.
Each Plunger receives an official Polar Plunge sweatshirt.
There are also incentive items for raising more money, with grand prizes including a seven-night trip for two to Riu Negril in Negril, Jamaica. The trip includes round-trip airfare, transfers to and from resort, all meals, drinks and more. For every $500 a plunger raises, he/she will get an entry into the drawing for this grand prize.
Register for the Plunge and create your own fundraising webpage on the Special Olympics Illinois website, plungeillinois.com, or by contacting Susan Foege in the Area 13/Lincolnshire office, (847) 478-0935.
Lunch will follow the plunge, which is free for participants and $5 for others.
The event is sponsored statewide by Geico Insurance. The local event is sponsored by the Daily Herald, Comcast SportsNet, Fox Lake Police Association and Village of Fox Lake.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois.
This intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics. Each year, more than 3,000 officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the Flame of Hope through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.
Special Olympics Illinois is a year-round program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics programs are now in more than 170 countries with 3.5 million athletes.