A girl in a Piglet onesie squealed as her two friends pulled her into the neck-deep water of the temporary pool with them. A line of people in swimsuits and shorts shouted and shivered in the 27 degree weather, waiting their turn. Some did jumping jacks to try and stay warm.
The Polar Plunge fundraiser benefits Special Olympics Indiana. Special Olympics is a group that organizes sports and competitions for people with intellectual disabilities. This event is Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority’s spring philanthropy project. Organizer Haley Grove said this year it raised almost $16,000, and around 200 people came to support it.
IU Police Department Chief Laury Flint climbed the ladder of a pool set up Saturday outside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall wearing a black and blue wetsuit. As the crowd cheered, she jumped in, kicking off IU’s fourth annual Polar Plunge.
Flint said she has been involved with the event for many years working security, making announcements and helping set up, but this was the first year she decided to plunge.
She said it seemed like the right time to do it since it was Special Olympics Indiana's 50th anniversary.
“It was really cold. A bit of a shock to the system,” Flint said. “I just jumped. I figured if I eased in it might be a little rougher than just jumping.”
IUPD, Ski and Snowboarding Club at IU, Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity and Pi Lambda Phi fraternity were among the groups there.
Among the first time jumpers were sophomore Alpha Sigma Alpha members Gabby Spisak, Tatiana Lopez and Esmeralda Acevedo.
The three said they were nervous before taking the plunge but knew it was for a good cause.
After leaping in wearing Winnie the Pooh character onesies, they said the soaking wet pajamas weighed them down and made it hard to climb out of the freezing pool.
Senior Sara Olsen has participated in the plunge once before and said this time was easier because she came prepared with extra warm clothes.
“I loved the second time as much as the first time,” Olsen said. “It was awesome.”
