On Saturday, Feb. 28, community members across Big Rapids and beyond took an icy plunge to raise money for special olympians.

A grand total of 55 daring soles jumped into the cold water on Saturday afternoon, raising over $23,000 for Special Olympics Michigan and Area 5. The event was hosted by the City of Big Rapids and the Big Rapids Elks, as well as presented by the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) organization.

“Our goal was $20,000 and so far, we raised $23,400,” Area 5 Special Olympics Director Jennifer Knowles said. “Thank you to all our amazing athletes and volunteers."

Plunger Johnathan Hart won the award for best costume and Jason Per took home the best plunge by the event’s judges. In terms of money, athlete Justin Euliske raised the most individually while the Patriotic Plungers, a group joined in memory of John “Butch” Cassidy, fundraised the most as a team.

“A big thank you to LETR, the Elks, the City of Big Rapids, the Mecosta County Sheriff's Posse and Dive Team, the Big Rapids Fire Department, Big Rapids Department of Public Safety, and other public safety personnel who gave their time,” Knowles said.

To date, the state of Michigan has raised over $1.6 million for Special Olympics through this year's plunges. While the event is over, plungers and teams can still accept donations on their fundraising pages. For more information on donating, visit https://plungemi.org/donate/.

_{Photo courtesy of Jennifer Knowles.}