Several Plunge Into Frigid Water to Assist Special Olympics Cause

EDWARDSVILLE - The annual Polar Plunge presented by the Law Enforcement Torch Run and GEICO was once again an opportunity to support the Special Olympics cause Friday afternoon at Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center in Edwardsville.

Participants were required to raise $100 in donations from friends, family and co-workers in exchange for jumping into an icy water tub.

Plungers who contributed the minimum of $100 received an official Plung hooded sweatshirt.

Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center Director Bob Rettle said it was a great day, raising funds for Special Olympics.

“We had a lot of participants,” he said, praising all who participated on a late winter day. “It was very exciting.”

Rettle added to the excitement at the end, jumping into the water tank himself, igniting the crowd of children at the event’s culmination.

“What a fun day,” Rettle said about the Polar Plunge. “We had kids from Liberty, Lincoln, Goshen, Cassens and all the different grades and it was fun. It really wasn’t a pool thing, but it was in our parking lot.”

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