The Eden Prairie Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics of Minnesota was held at Lake Riley on Saturday, March 11. Six hundred and forty-six plungers braved the icy waters and raised over $200,000.
The event is the Special Olympics Minnesota’s biggest fundraiser. The funds raised help Special Olympics Minnesota to provide “year-round training and services to thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state.”
Eden Prairie Police Detective Carter Staaf has been involved with the Eden Prairie Polar Plunge since the beginning.
“Our first plunge, we jumped [around]120 plungers and it made $48,000,” Staaf said. “Today we’re going to jump 650 plungers. And we are I think I just looked we’re at $187,000 and our goal today was $170,000. So this is today is our biggest dollar plunge.”
In its 16-year history, the Eden Prairie plunge has raised $1.96 million.
The Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Department helped cut the 21 inches of ice for the plunge. “The parks division basically makes this thing run,” Staaf said. “If it wasn’t for the parks division, we wouldn’t be able to do half of what we do here.”
The Polar Plunge is held in over 20 locations across Minnesota. A virtual plunge allows participants to plunge when and how they want while sharing online with the hashtag #VirtualPlungeMN.
“If you really want to walk your way in, just come experience the event, see the energy, see the excitement, see the athletes,” Staaf said. “If you are not motivated to jump in the water with these athletes then your heart is so hardened. I mean, they’re just the most incredible kids on the planet.”
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