Lincoln Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics

[March 14, 2012]  Be a fan of brrr-avery! Support Special Olympics athletes by jumping into the waters of Lincoln Lakes at noon on Saturday. The funds raised from the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge will benefit Special Olympics Illinois Central/Area 10, serving four counties of Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities.

All Polar Plungers are required to collect a minimum of $75 in donations. Check-in begins at 10 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lincoln. Plungers will be bused to and from the beach site. Lunch at the Knights of Columbus Hall will follow the plunge. Lunch is free for plungers and $6 for non-plungers and $3 for children 12 and under. See complete directions on the Special Olympics Illinois website: www.soill.org.

People are encouraged to come in costume and to form teams. Each team member must raise the minimum of $75 in donations, and all team members' individual fundraising totals will be merged to form a combined team total. Statewide, teams are placed into divisions based on size and are awarded prizes for the most money raised.

Each plunger receives an official Polar Plunge sweatshirt. There are also incentive items for raising more money. One of the grand prizes is a seven-night trip for two to Riu Negril in Negril, Jamaica, courtesy of Riu Hotels and Resorts and Apple Vacations. The trip includes round-trip airfare, transfers to and from the resort, all meals, drinks, and more. For every $500 a plunger raises, he or she will get an entry into the drawing for this prize.

Plungers can register online at www.plungeillinois.com and also create their own fundraising page, or they can register by contacting Joanie Keyes at 217-428-9255. Last-minute participants are welcome to register the morning of the plunge.

Statewide presenting Polar Plunge sponsor: GEICO

Lincoln Polar Plunge sponsors: Banner Times, Lincoln Courier, Comcast SportsNet, WLCN 96.3, Lincoln Daily News, Wal-Mart, Logan County Emergency Management Agency, West Lincoln-Broadwell School, Carlton Holdings and the Knights of Columbus

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. The intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects have two goals: to raise money and increase public awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics. Each year, more than 3,000 officers in Illinois run more than 1,500 miles carrying the "Flame of Hope" through the streets of their hometowns and deliver it to the State Summer Games in Normal in June.

Special Olympics Illinois is a year-round program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics programs are now in more than 170 countries with 3.5 million athletes.

[Text from file received from Special Olympics Illinois]