Polar Plungers Wanted to Jump into Lincoln Lake on Saturday, March 21 at the Private Beach Access Area

[March 19, 2015]  LINCOLN, Ill. – Be a fan of brrr-avery! Support Special Olympics athletes by jumping into the waters of Lincoln Lake, at noon on Saturday, March 21. The funds raised from the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge® will benefit Special Olympics Illinois Central/Area 10, serving Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities in four counties. The March 7 Plunge at Lake Decatur also supports the Central/Area 10 program.

All Polar Plungers are required to collect a minimum of $75 in donations. Registration begins at 10 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 217 S. Limit St., Lincoln. Participants and Spectators will be bused to and from the beach site. Lunch will available for purchase on site. Lunch is $6 per person, $3 for children ages 4-12, and Children ages 3 and under will eat for free. 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 also raise the minimum of $75 in donations; 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 with grand prizes, including a seven night trip for two adults to Riu Palace Bavaro in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. For every $500 a plunger raises, he/she will get an entry into the drawing for this grand prize.

Plungers can register for the Plunge 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 Plungers are welcome to register on site the morning of the Plunge.

Statewide Presenting Polar Plunge Sponsor: GEICO

Lincoln Plunge Sponsors: Lincoln Daily News, New Herald News, Lincoln Courier, Banner Times, WLCN Radio, 96.3 Lincoln Country, 89X Radio, , Emergency Management Services, WLB School District, Carlton Holdings, Knights of Columbus, , Walmart, Comcast SportsNet , BEER NUTS, Coca-Cola and Skinny Pop.

[Michelle Evans, Special Olympics Illinois Polar Plunge]

The Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run is the single largest year-round fund-raising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois. This 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 4 million athletes.­