About 30 people participated in the 7th-annual Polar Plunge on Centennial Campus Saturday.
The event, which is held by Campus Police, raises money to support the Special Olympics of North Carolina.
The name “Polar” might have been a misnomer this year; however, as the air temperature broke 60 degrees Fahrenheit , and the water temperature of Lake Raleigh was estimated to have been in the high 40s, much higher than years past, according to Campus Police Chief Jack Moorman.
Participants paid a minimum of $50 to “plunge” into the cool water of Lake Raleigh. Plungers included members of Campus Police, groups of students from different University clubs, as well as families of athletes participating in SONC.
According to Moorman, the event significantly exceeded fundraising expectations of $5,000. Moorman said the event generated an estimated $7,000.
Moorman said the donations will allow athletes participating in SONC to obtain transportation to Raleigh, and will also go toward purchasing gear and equipment as well as paying for the costs of facilities.
Steven Brown, who has now participated in the Polar Plunge for six years, said the reason he contributes his time is for his daughter, who participates in the Paralympics.
“My daughter is a Paralympics special needs child, and we always get a big team together, and this is the sixth year we’ve done it,” Brown said.
Brown and his team, “Katy’s Polar Bears,” won the awards for the Top Individual Fundraiser and the Top Team Fundraiser, respectively. Brown raised $1,425 individually, and the team raised a total of $3,245.
“A lot of us know people or have family members that are some way impacted by different disabilities,” Moorman said. “It’s something you can feel very good about, because you know what you’re doing goes toward a very good cause. At the Special Olympic events we attend, you see the excitement and expression on the faces of the athletes who are participating, you realize how worthwhile it really is.”
Moorman said police departments all over the country, as well as the world, have bridged a significant relationship with Special Olympics.
“It’s become the adopted charity for law enforcement,” Moorman said. “It’s something that’s very important to us and to our profession, and it fits in well with what we as law enforcement officers really stand up for and believe in.”
Moorman said law enforcement agencies in North Carolina annually raise about $1 million for Special Olympics.
