Plunge for Special Olympics

285.... That is the number of people who jumped into Steven's Lake this Valentines day.  That is 82 more people than last year's Polar Bear Plunge. Over the past 14 years there has been 8,527 participants in the Polar Bear Plunges in cities throughout the state of Missouri.   This year the plunge raised over $32,000 dollars.  The earnings go towards 15,000 Special Olympics athletes in Missouri.  Brooke Ballew is the Venue Coordinator for Special Olympics in Columbia. She has participated in the Polar Bear Plunge the last two years Columbia has hosted it.  She said her cousin is the one who got her involved in Special Olympics and in the past two years she has helped out with district golf and basketball.  She plans to keep participating in the Polar Bear Plunge in years to come.  This year each participant paid $50 dollars to join a team and jump into the frigid 33 degree water.  There were 28 teams and each had a theme with creative costumes.  

There are two more Polar Bear Plunge dates for Missouri. 

February 21 - Lake Viking, Mexico, and Joplin

February 28 - Maryland Heights, and Osage Beach