There were laughs, there were cheers, and there were shivers as the annual Polar Plunge took place at Festival Square in downtown Lethbridge on Saturday.
Participants were ‘freezin’ for a reason’ as the Law Enforcement Torch Run event helped raise funds for Special Olympics Alberta and local athletes.
As of Monday morning, funds continue to be counted, with over $30,000 raised.
Constable Braylon Hyggen with the Lethbridge Police Service K9 Division and LETR took the plunge, alongside other first responders.
He says the Special Olympics offer many benefits to athletes.
“It provides so much for them to do. It gives them purpose. They get to compete on stage in provincial games, [and] they get to compete against each other,” Hyggen says.
“It gives them a healthy lifestyle where they can come out and participate in sports.”
Hyggen coaches the local Special Olympics basketball team, and notes many of the players are multi-sport athletes who compete in up to six different events.
Hyggen brought Police Service Dog Macho to the Saturday event, with the canine taking the plunge, which led to many cheers from those in attendance.
Meanwhile, Anny Chenard, chair for Special Olympics Lethbridge, says an event like the Polar Plunge is a great way to fundraise for the organization.
“It gathers everybody and shows inclusion, and the biggest part of [the] Special Olympics is inclusion,” Chenard says. “Everyone is welcome and everyone is allowed to do things that they love and have a passion for.”
She adds that the organization provides programs for athletes outside the realm of competitions, like the Health Athletes program, which offers free health screenings.
“The Healthy Athletes program, it helps them get ready and prepare for competition sports like nationals and worlds, and helps them with [areas like] weight training or what healthy meals are and how they can continue to gain their health, because the longer our athletes live, the better opportunities they have for themselves and their future,” Chenard says.
The Polar Plunge featured eight waves, with plungers jumping into a big tub filled with ice-cold water, donated by LitterBug Waste Disposal Services. Arctic Spas supplied a hot tub to help participants warm up. The event featured upwards of 100 plungers.
