Volunteers brave icy water for charity at Polar Plunge

Many brave souls from the Terre Haute area took an icy dip Saturday for the 2009 Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Indiana.

Participants donated money and took a plunge into a pool of ice water outside of the Hulman Center in below freezing weather.

"The Polar Plunge is our way of providing statewide awareness about the Special Olympics," said Jeff Mohler, vice president of programs for Special Olympics Indiana.

This year, Special Olympics Indiana is celebrating its 40th anniversary by holding ten Plunges across the state.

The Terre Haute Fire Department, one of the event sponsors, supplied hydrant water for the plunge pool.

There were a total of sixty plunges, involving ISU students, local residents and people from various non-profit organizations.

ISU has sponsored the Special Olympics for 40 years, holding events such as the annual summer games at the Hulman Center.

John Lentz, the Director of Recreational Sports at ISU, was also a participant of the plunge.

"As a charitable organization, they [Special Olympics Indiana] struggle severely with the current economic situation," said Lentz. "We're trying to help out by giving them a little more visibility."

The event also featured a costume contest, involving several participants who dressed up prior to plunging.

Sodexo, the on-campus food service provider for ISU and sponsor of the event, hosted an after party as well.

Last year, Polar Plunge events raised more than $200,000 for Special Olympics Indiana statewide.

"People all over Indiana are fans of Special Olympics," said Michael Furnish, CEO of Special Olympics Indiana. "They know about our program and believe in our cause." "The Polar Plunge presented people with an opportunity to make their support official by getting involved in a fun activity that really makes a difference in the lives of our deserving athletes."