Freezing for a reason in Fox Lake

Nearly 300 people jumped into frigid water in honor of the Fox Lake Polar Plunge at Lakefront Park Sunday morning.

The annual event raised almost $63,000 for the Special Olympics athletes of Illinois. The funds raised from the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge are designed to specifically benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.

"It is actually beautiful out today. A little bit of wind, but the sun is shining and it is supposed to be almost 40 degrees out. You can't beat it for a Polar Plunge," said Jordan Feldman, the Special Olympics Illinois Region B Director. "People love the challenge and they love to be able to tell people they jumped in a frigid lake. And they love to be able to tell people they did it for a good cause like Special Olympics Illinois."

This year's top individual fundraiser was Melissa Zientara, and the top fundraising team was Highland Park High School's PlungeBob SquarePants.

This year's top team for costumes was the village of Mundelein "SNL" group, with members dressed as many of the popular characters from the Saturday night television show.

This is the 19th year of the plunge in Illinois, and more than 66,000 plungers have raised more than $18.4 million in donations, officials from the Special Olympics said in a news release.

The 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 are designed to raise money and gain awareness for the group's athletes.