4,781 chill seekers dashed and splashed at the 2015 Polar Plunge® Winter Fest in Virginia Beach Feb. 6-7, raising more than $1,180,000 (and counting!) for Special Olympics Virginia. This year, they were bold, cold and shockingly stylish in custom bow ties!
“Raising one million dollars for the fifth year in a row is incredible,” said Rick Jeffrey, Special Olympics Virginia president. “Our athletes face a number of foes and opponents each day but none is more pervasive than low expectations. The community’s support of events like the Polar Plunge® Winter Fest shows a commitment to celebrating what our athletes and communities can achieve when we play and live unified.”
Be bold. Get cold. And go for gold – gold bow ties, that is! Thousands of chill seekers will get “tied” to a cool cause at this weekend’s 23rd Annual Polar Plunge® Winter Fest, Feb. 6-7 between 6th-9th streets on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This year, plungers will be fashionably frozen in more than just crazy costumes – the more money they raised, the brighter their bow tie! So, let’s tie on one!
All proceeds from the event benefit Special Olympics Virginia’s more than 30,000 athletes and volunteers. For many athletes, Special Olympics is the only place they will experience the thrill of victory. The chance to be part of a community. The opportunity to live a healthier, more productive life.
In Virginia, we can't deliver on those dreams without enormous community support of the Polar Plunge® Winter Fest. Together, with thousands of others this weekend, we hope to celebrate our 5th million dollar year, and create more champions.
The 2015 Polar Plunge® Winter Fest, presented by FM99, 106.9 THE FOX, WTKR NewsChannel 3, The Wawa Foundation, Virginia Natural Gas, Booz Allen Hamilton, Walmart, WGNT, the Knights of Columbus and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Virginia, kicks off Friday, Feb. 6 at 10:30 a.m. with the Cool School Challenge,an exclusive opportunity for school groups to take the Plunge (actual Plunge is at noon). More than 450 students from 14 local schools have already signed up for the Cool School Challenge, presented by Walmart and WTKR Newschannel 3.
Saturday morning, Feb. 7, runners will “dash” before they splash at the Plunge 5K, presented by the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Virginia. The run begins at 8:30 am at 8th Street and the Boardwalk.
The Polar Plunge® Winter Festival begins at 10 am Saturday, Feb. 7, with the actual Plunge taking place at 2 pm (please note this is 30 minutes earlier than in year’s past). In addition to costume contents, vendor exhibits, live music and the final check presentation (on the main stage at 1:30 pm), you can cheer on our future Plunge stars at the Pee-Wee Plunge, where kids 10 and under can jump into a cool kiddie pool for the cause.
Still want to chill with us? You can run, plunge or play right up until each event starts, or you can join thousands of others as they cheer from the sidelines and enjoy the weekend’s activities. To register for the plunge, 5K or Pee Wee Plunge, or to find out more details about the event, visit www.polarplunge.com or call our Virginia Beach office, 757.962.1575.
Since 1993, more than 39,000 plungers have raised more than $9.5 million for Special Olympics Virginia. The inaugural Polar Plunge took place in 1993 at the Clarion Hotel; 108 plungers raised more than $11,000 for Special Olympics Virginia, a year-round international program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.