Special Olympics set to take Polar Plunge

Posted on February 8, 2016
Joe Grove and Jill Berterlsen
Special Olympian Joe Grove and Special Olympics Illinois Area 6 Director Jill Berterlsen preview the Polar Plunge. (Photo by Laura Ewan/WJBC)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Officials at Special Olympics Illinois hope a later start this year will encourage more people to take the plunge.

The annual Polar Plunge at Miller Park Lake in Bloomington was moved this year to the last Saturday in February.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Bertelsen and polar plunger Joe Grove on WJBC.

“We’ve raised over $30,000 so far so that’s super exciting for us,” Special Olympics Area 6 Director Jill Bertelsen said. “We have three more weeks left and hopefully we have nicer weather.”

Bertelsen told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin about 600 plungers have signed up so far, but the group needs about 250 more to reach last year’s total. Each participant has to raise $100.

The plunging begins at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 27. You can register to be part of the Radio Bloomington team or start your own team.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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