Polar Plungers will be freezin’ for a reason

It’s not every day that people are willing to “go jump in a lake” — particularly in the winter — let alone do so with thousands of other people, including members of the law enforcement community.

But that’s exactly what will happen on various weekends in February and March as part of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Illinois, presented by GEICO.

The event has grown from one location in 1999 to 18 locations across the state this year.

The Polar Plunge series will kick off with a SUPER Plunge — where participants raise a minimum of $2,500 and plunge into Lake Michigan once an hour every hour for 24 hours — Feb. 25-26 at Northwestern University’s North Beach in Evanston.

Any adventurous soul is invited to join law enforcement officers, as well as media and business and civic leaders from their community by donning bathing suits, costumes or any clothing of choice (just no wet suits) to jump in a lake. Each plunger must collect a minimum of $75 in donations that will be used to support Special Olympics programs in Illinois.

Individuals and teams can register for the plunge on the Special Olympics Illinois website, plungeillinois.com, or by contacting the Special Olympics Illinois staff listed below.

Plungers are encouraged to form teams to spread the fun. Each team member must raise the minimum $75 donation and all team members’ individual fundraising totals will be merged to form a combined team total. Teams are placed into divisions based on size and are awarded prizes for the most money raised.

All plungers will receive gifts, compete for prizes and enjoy food and camaraderie with other chilly participants. The more money a plunger raises, the more chances he/she will have to win a trip to Riu Negril in Negril, Jamaica, presented by Apple Vacations, and other grand prizes.

For every $500 a plunger raises, he/she will get an entry into the drawing for the grand prizes.

Local events are:

타 Evanston: 1 p.m. Feb. 26 at Northwestern University’s North Beach; Katie Grisham, (630) 545-3402.

타 Fox Lake: 1 p.m. Feb 27 at Lake Front Park; Anne Carroll, (630) 942-5610.

타 Palatine: Noon Feb. 27 at Twin Lakes, Salt Creek Park District; Dan Conley, (847) 392-2842.

타 Lake Bluff: 1 p.m. March 5 at Sunrise Beach; Sandy Hutchins, (630) 377-7250.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The annual intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.

Each year, more than 3,000 officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the Flame of Hope through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.