McCormick sophomore Nathanael McLaughlin was braving the icy Evanston weather and the possibility of pneumonia as he leaped into a partially frozen Lake Michigan on Saturday afternoon.
It wasn’t, as you’d expect on a Saturday morning, the aftermath of a drunken bet, but instead the Polar Plunge fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. Organized by Law Enforcement Torch Run, McLaughlin and around 60 other plungers braved the sub-zero temperatures to take a dip in the lake.
Video by Kayla Bensing and Scott Chilberg.
“Apart from the obvious fact that it’s for a great cause,” said McLaughlin, as he dried off, “it’s also just a lot of fun.”
Adam Contres, a fifth-year Special Olympics coach, described how he and his group of five plungers “held hands and jogged in together.”
Each group of jumpers employed different methods in jumping in, but all hurried back after their dip to warm towels and clothes.
The event drew a crowd of family members, friends and supportive members of the community who cheered the divers on.
Event director Katie Grisham mentioned that the plungers had “raised close to $40,000 in sponsorship for Special Olympics Illinois.”
Special Olympics Illinois “provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities,” according to their web site.
Apart from the Polar Plunge, Northwestern’s Special Olympics works together with Area Five of Special Olympics Illinois to host the annual Spring Track and Field Games, and members of the Northwestern community help coach Area Five athletes in preparation for the event.