2017 Warsaw Polar Plunge In Planning Stages
WARSAW — In the midst of summer’s heat, Special Olympic coordinators’ thoughts are already turning to colder weather as they plan the 2017 Polar Plunge fundraiser.
Event organizers are already seeking groups brave enough to take the plunge. According to Special Olympics Northwest Regional Manger Buzz Lail, last year’s Warsaw event drew 75 people. This year, the organization hopes to exceed 100.
“If you have a lot of plungers, you have a successful event,” Lail said.
This will be Special Olympics’ 17th year hosting Polar Plunges and the organization’s third one in Warsaw. All of the proceeds earned go back to Special Olympics athlete training and participation in local, area and statewide athletic events. Area competitions, Lail said, are like sectionals.
Approximately 120 Special Olympics athletes are from Kosciusko County, Lail said. Special Olympics programming lasts year-round and participants can choose from a variety of sports.
Lail invites area businesses, clubs, youth groups, organizations and even families to sign up groups to participate. Prizes are available in several categories, including best costume and most funds raised. There is also a Chillin’ to the Bone challenge for the local orthopedic companies, to see which can pull together the largest team. Last year saw DePuy and Instrumed going head-to-head.
“We thought we had a pretty clear winner last year,” Lail said. “DePuy ended up edging past Instrumed at the last minute.”
There is no maximum age limit for Polar Plungers, however coordinators ask that participants be at least age 14. Last year’s youngest plunger was 15, while the oldest was in her 70s.
Besides plungers, Special Olympics is looking for volunteers to help coordinate the event, especially in the area of team recruitment. Organizers are also seeking volunteers to lend a hand the day of the event. Volunteers are not required to “take the plunge,” but are strongly encouraged to do so, especially those recruiting teams.
As far as weather, there are never any guarantees. Last year, Lail said, workers had only a thin layer of slushy ice to deal with due to unseasonably warm weather. In 2015, however, the ice was 18 inches thick and the day of the event was very cold.
The 2017 Polar Plunge is set for Feb. 18, at the Center Lake Pavilion, Warsaw. Further details are still in the planning stages, Lail said.