Once a year on the Saturday before Presidents’ Day, Prior Lake hosts its annual Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota. Many teams, organizations, and corporations all raise money and then jump into the freezing water of Sandpoint Beach, while being cheered on by athletes of Special Olympics Minnesota.
According to the Plunge MN website, Prior Lake has hosted its Polar Plunge for 16 years, and it has raised more than $2.8 million dollars, including $310,351 this year alone. Each year, more people continue to jump and show their support for the Special Olympics.
Among the programs that jump, Prior Lake boys basketball raised more than $7,500 in support of the Special Olympics this year. They have been jumping for the last 6 years and continue to raise funds through donations.
“It’s a totally new experience, and I feel like it’s good to make yourself uncomfortable sometimes,” senior team manager Drew Peterson said. “At first we were thinking: are we really going to do this?”
Drew and the rest of the team are among many programs that have jumped for years and continue to recruit others to jump with them. Each of the last four years, at least one program has joined in the Prior Lake Polar Plunge, and this trend will likely continue in the future.
While the programs jumped, hundreds of supporters watched and cheered them on. Entering into the Sandpoint Beach area, they were encouraged by Special Olympics athletes, police officers, fire fighters, and parents in attendance.
“The support from them made it a really cool experience because you have your family cheering you on and a ton of strangers cheering you on as well,” Drew said. “They all came out, watched us, gave us high fives, and really just showed their support to us. I’d totally jump again, especially knowing how much fun I had.”
One of the reasons why the people in attendance are so supportive is the fact that the Polar Plunge has helped raise money for Special Olympics that has given the athletes opportunities to compete that otherwise may not have been possible.
Prior Lake girls basketball coach Nick Hjerpe has been doing the Polar Plunge since 2012 to support his older brother, Steven, a Special Olympics athlete.
“I think he does feel supported and feels the impacts that other sports programs have by donating their time, raising funds, and doing the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics,” Hjerpe said. “Special Olympics is a non-profit, so the money raised really just helps fuel the machine of allowing access so that Special Olympics can partner with different schools.”
The Polar Plunge is a great way to raise money for Special Olympics athletes to get more opportunities to compete and have fun playing sports. For the athletes, it’s not just about exercise; it’s about so much more.
“Specifically for my brother, it’s exercise, but it’s also getting to interact in sports, have fun, have some competition, and be celebrated,” Hjerpe said. “From an athletic standpoint, we don’t realize how lucky we truly are when it comes to being involved with athletics. For kids that maybe don’t get as many opportunities as neurotypical kids, this being an outlet for them is super impactful because they get really jazzed up to do it. It’s super exciting and can be a really fun thing for everybody involved.”
The Polar Plunge is a fun and exciting way to make an impact on the community and help those who may not have the same opportunities as others.
