Alumni and volunteers came out to Lake Raleigh Saturday to participate in the 11th annual NC State Police Department Polar Plunge. The Polar Plunge is an event in which participants jump into freezing water to raise money for the Special Olympics. This year the plunge raised close to $17,000 for the Special Olympics, surpassing the goal of $15,000.
With temperatures on Saturday in the low 40s and the water temperature at an icy 48 degrees, the stage was set for an exciting but cold afternoon. The event started off with a 5K run around NC State’s Centennial campus attempting to get participants warm before they took the plunge into the frigid water.
Father and son duo Mike and Neil Sidlovsky ran the race together. For Neil Sidlovsky, a freshman studying business, the Polar Plunge is a family affair.
“My brother did the plunge while he was at NC State, so I figured I could do it too,” Neil Sidlovsky said. “I am excited for the plunge, expecting it to be cold, but I know it is for a good cause.”
The plunge is meant to be lighthearted and fun, so many participants choose to dress up.
Locals Kelly Foster and Stevie Rodriguez dressed up in scuba outfits for the event.
Rodriguez’s son, Speed, a future Special Olympian, was at the race too. She was able to push Speed during the 5K but let him stay and watch from the comfort of the stroller as mom and friend took the plunge.
Rodriguez shared her thoughts about giving back and volunteering.
“I try to do a charity event or give back once a month, whether that’s doing the Polar Plunge, volunteering at a soup kitchen or just a random act of kindness,” Rodriguez said. “The polar plunge in particular is fun because it’s not like a typical charity event. It’s a bit more exciting.”
The event ended with awards being handed out and a few words from Lieutenant William Davis from the NC State Police Department.
“When you hear the stories from the athletes and the families and the impact this has on them, it is overwhelming,” Davis said. “Getting to interact with them and just getting to know them makes you want to do more.”
Davis has hopes of growing the event in the future but knows it is truly a community effort to make it bigger. In the end, the goal of the event is to make a positive impact on the Special Olympics athletes in the Raleigh community.
Nickolas Bravo, a second year graduate student in applied math runs the 5k as the intro to the Polar Plunge. Bravo, dressed up along with other members of the NC State Club Water Polo team. When asked about how cold the plunge would be, he mentioned that his undergraduate, the University of Nebraska Lincoln, prepared him for it. The 11th Polar Plunge, held at Lake Raleigh on Centennial Campus, raised over $15,000 for the Special Olympics as people dunked themselves in the 48 degree water.
