By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
You can help raise money for Special Olympics.
All you have to do is take the plunge, likely in icy water.
The annual Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics will be held in a pool in the East Hills Mall parking lot in St. Joseph Saturday, February 24th.
Melody Prawitz with Special Olympics of northern Missouri says this year’s theme might seem a bit counterintuitive.
“This year’s theme is Aloha; Hawaiian. So, get your grass skirts out, get your Hawaiian shirts out, and come on out,” Prawitz tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “We give prizes. We give the Golden Plunger Award to the best costumes: first, second, and third. And then we give the top fundraisers for top team fundraisers and top individual fundraisers.”
The Polar Plunge is one of Special Olympics Missouri’s biggest fundraisers. It began years ago at the Lake of the Ozarks and has spread across the state. A Polar Plunge will be held at Chillicothe on Saturday, February 10th.
Prawitz says this year’s theme of Aloha Plunge should attract similar costumes from past plunges, which has included women dressed as brides taking the plunge.
“We had ladies that did the ugly Christmas sweaters one year. So, we’ve had everything down in there. We’ve had Ninja Turtles,” Prawitz says. “It just depends on the theme on what people come up with. They come up with pretty elaborate costumes.”
Prawitz says one regular participant wants to know the theme as soon as possible so he can dress just right.
Now, how cold the water might be, no one knows.
“There have been some days that it’s has been very, very cold. And then there’s been days when it’s been like a solar plunge and has been very nice outside,” according to Prawitz. “So, we never know what it’s going to be until that week and they start predicting the weather and we get up that morning.”
Those who wish to take the plunge can register online or wait until the day of the event: Saturday, February 24th.
Click HERE for a link to the event.
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.