Only brave souls with warm hearts would be inclined to take a dip in Lake of the Ozarks in February. On February 22, costumed participants will "take the plunge" into the frigid waters of the Lake as part of their commitment to Special Olympics Missouri's year-round program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Festivities at the event include a costume parade before the 2:30 pm plunge, when participants walk, run or crawl into the cold winter waters of the Lake from Public Beach #2 in Lake of the Ozarks State Park. All participants fundraise for the Special Olympics prior to the plunge and prizes are awarded for top fundraisers. These donations help the participating individuals and teams show their pride and dedication to the cause and give them, as one team puts it, "a reason for freezin'." Spectators crowd the shoreline at the event, cheering on their favorite participants and showing their support for the cause. The Polar Plunge is a project of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Missouri and is proudly hosted by the Osage Beach Police Department. To register yourself or a team to take the plunge, or to donate to your favorite participant, visit the Special Olympics of Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks Polar Plunge page at http://bit.ly/1kA5rm0.
To view a complete series of photos from the 2013 Polar Plunge, check our our Flickr photo set at http://bit.ly/YAGOZ6.
