News Release

NORTH MANCHESTER — Manchester University is hosting the annual Polar Plunge, a fundraising event to help support Special Olympics Indiana.

Freezin’ for a Reason begins with registration from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, near the new ticket booth at the Spartan Stadium on the North Manchester campus.

“The big splash begins at noon. This is a great way for individuals and teams to make a big difference for Special Olympics while having a blast,” said MU Student Life Office Manager Kelsey Gower, who is helping organize the event.

Each person needs to raise a “bear” minimum of $85 to plunge. Team members can sign up as participants, which means they jump in the water, or “virtual plungers,” who raise money but do not get wet.

Special Olympics Indiana’s signature fundraiser, the Polar Plunge is a series of events held each winter where individuals and teams brave the elements by taking an icy dip to demonstrate their commitment to the cause. All funds raised by the events directly benefit more than 18,000 Special Olympics athletes throughout Indiana, giving them the means to train locally and compete at the state level in Olympic-type sports.

Plungers must be at least 12 years old by the day of the event to enter the water. Those younger than 18 must have a signature from a parent or guardian.

For more information about the event at Manchester, contact Gower at [email protected].

Organizers advise participants should wear old gym shoes they don’t mind getting wet. They should bring a pair of dry shoes, a towel or robe and a change of clothes. Some plungers wear costumes over bathing suits.

Participants should follow these steps:

• Register online as an in-person or virtual participant at https://secure.e2rm.com/p2p/location/367864
• Fundraise by sharing the link to their personal fundraising page and collect cash and checks from people in their community. Friends don’t let friends plunge alone! Ask friends, family and co-workers to get involved.
• Take the plunge on Feb. 19. Bring their pledge form and/or a copy of their online pledges to the Polar Plunge event. Turn in all offline donations, sign a waiver and prepare to get cold.