Imagine spending a Saturday afternoon throwing your body into a pool of freezing water cut out of a sheet of solid ice. After immersing yourself in below-freezing water, your body shakes and shivers and welcomes the heat of the hot tub you quickly jump into.
If that does not sound appealing, then imagine that all of the pledges you receive for participating in this event go to raising money for the Special Olympics Wisconsin and the training for the athletes with cognitive disabilities.
This year, Special Olympics Wisconsin will be holding their annual Polar Plunge at Olin Park on Feb. 16, from noon to 3:00 p.m.
\All of the money raised is used to subsidize training and competition costs for approximately 9,000 athletes [in the Special Olympics] throughout Wisconsin,"" said Katy Close, Program Services Assistant at Special Olympics Wisconsin. ""The money from the Madison plunge goes directly to the athletes in the South Central region.""
The Madison plunge is one of eight state-wide fundraisers for the Special Olympics this winter. Students are encouraged to register for the plunge this year, as they were a significant part of the event in years past.
""We had a lot of students participate last year. A lot of the fraternities and sororities had some unique costumes,"" Kloepping said.
Participants in the Polar Plunge are eligible to win incentive prizes, or prizes based on the amount of donations each individual raises. Each participant is required to raise at least $60 in pledges, and the more donations received, the nicer the incentive prizes. These pledges are the heart of the fundraiser, with all pledge money going directly to the Special Olympics. Prizes include such items as a sweatshirt for raising $60, to a soft-sided cooler and blanket for $1000. Donations of $1500 and more qualify the plunger to receive a surprise gift. Even more incentive is that all prizes are cumulative.
Aside from the incentive prizes, plungers are given the opportunity to participate in contests such as Largest Group Plunge, Most Donations Raised by a Group, Most Donations Raised by an Individual and more unique contests such as Most Original Plunge Wear, Oldest Plunger and Most Plunges by an Individual.
""Some people just wanna keep on jumping in,"" Close said.
Last year's Most Original Plunge Wear award went to Kelly Kloepping, director of Marketing and Communications for Special Olympics Wisconsin, who impressed the judges with her wedding dress costume. Kloepping was accompanied by her two friends who donned bridesmaids dresses as they dove into the frigid waters. Their unique outfits even won more than just the hearts of the judges.
""We ended up getting phone calls and e-mails from guys. ... It was a joke to meet guys there and then all of a sudden all these guys start calling,"" Kloepping said. ""It was really not that big of a deal; it's purely just fun.""
Judges for the competition this year will consist of some local celebrities.
""Bucky Badger will be there for a short while, and there will be local television and radio personalities. We have media partners for the event, and Z104 will be emceeing the event,"" Kloepping said.
Not everyone attending the Polar Plunge has to be a registered plunger; the majority of attendants at the event are spectators.
""There will be all kinds of things going on. There will be concessions, good food and souvenirs sold as well that spectators can buy,"" Close said. ""There will probably be 1,000 spectators throughout the day out there. We are planning on having ice sculptures and face painting and other fun activities.""
Kloepping participated in the plunge last year and raised over $1,000 in donations among herself and her friends.
""[My two friends and I] were excited to take part in the plunge. ... [The event] is very breathtaking. There were literally hundreds of people watching from television, radio and the Wisconsin State Journal, all lined up around the hole that was cut in the ice,"" Kloepping said. ""The hole was pretty big and hundreds of people swamped around it. ... Your anxiety level is so high that you just want to get in there and get out. It is like knives being pierced at your skin. It's a lot, a lot, a lot of cold. You run to the water and jump in, and run up to the beach, still in the water, and into the hot tub. ... The funny part is, as you're getting out of the hot tub, your clothes freeze.""
Since the idea of delving into below-freezing waters may be a concern for participants, precautions are taken to ensure safety of all the plungers.
""The fire department has divers on sight, rescue divers will be in the water in case people need out of the water, as well as EMT on sight there. Probably people with heart conditions wouldn't want to plunge, but not to my knowledge [has there been a problem]. Just a lot of people with goose bumps,"" Close said.
""Mainly we really tell people to wear shoes [to protect your feet]. I just wore an old pair of tennis shoes under the wedding dress,"" Kloepping said. ""It's a safe event.""
This year, organizers of the Polar Plunge anticipate nearly double the number of participants and spectators as well as double the amount of money raised because that has been the trend since the first annual plunge. The goal of the Polar Plunge this year is to raise $70,000 for the Madison plunge specifically. Last year, the event raised around $45,000.
""Every year it has doubled, and every year that we have thrown the plunge in the Madison area, it has doubled in number. Word of mouth is all we need, and it keeps spreading. It is such a unique fundraiser that it really sells itself,"" Kloepping said.
According to the official Web site, the mission of Special Olympics Wisconsin is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in various Olympic-type sports for both children and adults with cognitive disabilities. Special Olympics Wisconsin's mission also consists of providing the athletes with ""continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community,"" according to the Web site.
The only requirements for becoming a Special Olympics athlete are that you are at least eight years old and have a medical record verifying a cognitive disability.
""Cognitive disabilities means mentally retarded, but mentally retarded has taken on a negative meaning. Basically what that is, is a slower rate of learning. With a lot of these athletes, you won't know that they're cognitively disabled by looking at them,"" Kloepping said.
Special Olympics has 17 Olympic-type sports varying from snowboarding and skiing to swimming and tennis. The athletes first train at a local level and if they do well at regional or district levels they have the opportunity to advance to the state level.
""They have to train just the same as other Olympic athletes,"" Kloepping said. ""It is a fun experience for the athletes.""
""Divisioning,"" or grouping athletes into different races according to their ability level, is a unique aspect of the Special Olympics that was implemented to assure fairness and equal opportunity for success in their sport.
""You may see a 72-year-old and 8-year-old in the same race because they're at the same ability level. Everyone has a same chance to win,"" Kloepping said.
The five state competitions are the winter games, summer games, fall sports tournament, indoor sports tournament and outdoor sports tournament.
""The 17 sports we offer to the athletes are grouped according to their seasonal categories. We have nearly 9,000 athletes in the state right now that are competing in the Special Olympics and we are trying to get more athletes,"" Kloepping said.
The eight state-wide Polar Plunges received significant financial aid from such corporations as Hardees, ShopKo and Kwik Trip, where registration forms for the plunge are available. Registration forms are also available on the Web site.
""We were just looking for a unique way to raise money. The Plunge is something that anyone can do, and winter is a very popular sports season in Wisconsin. We said 'Let's do something wacky that involves our cold weather and is an attention-getter.' I think the idea has caught on and the word of mouth has caught on,"" Kloepping said. ""We invite people to be brave and attempt the frigid waters and raise money for a good cause.""
