Polar Plunge participants dive into icy waters to raise money for Special Olympics Missouri

On Saturday, Feb. 8, Cape County Park North in Southeast Missouri was the site of the annual Polar Plunge, where 165 participants from 24 teams braved the icy waters to raise funds for Special Olympics Missouri athletes.

This year's event saw an increase in participation from last year's 134 plungers, with water temperatures at 40 degrees and air temperatures at 52 degrees, accompanied by wind gusts between 13 and 24 miles per hour.

The Polar Plunge raised $64,000, nearing its $66,000 goal. Event coordinator Penny Williams expressed optimism that the target would be met by the end of the week.

Among individual fundraisers, Special Olympic athlete Lisa Berryhill led with $2,800, followed by Addison Stratton with $2,150 and John Atkinson with $2,050.

Festus Middle School topped the team fundraising efforts with $5,355, while Chaffee Glo Devils and the Sam's Club team raised $4,370 and $4,078, respectively.

The Polar Plunge is an annual event to provide funding for Special Olympics Missouri athletes in the region. Participants, ranging from schools to local organizations, donned costumes and took the plunge to show their commitment to the cause.