The Gustavus Adolphus College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Gustie student-athletes will be participating in the 2012 Polar Bear Plunge held Saturday, Feb. 11 at Lake Hallett located at W St. Julien St and Old Minnesota Ave in St. Peter, Minn. The event will take place at 1:00 p.m.
Gustavus Adolphus is entered into the school competition and everyone is encouraged to cheer on all the Gustie teams as they raise money, dress up, and plunge into the icy waters of Lake Hallet. Golfer Coby Rowley and soccer player Evan Odean are the sudent-athletes in charge of the Gustavus Student-Athlete Polar Plunge Team.
The Polar Bear Plunge — presented by Minnesota law enforcement as part of the year-round Law Enforcement Torch Run events to benefit Special Olympics — is a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to support Special Olympics athletes by jumping into frigid Minnesota waters. It consists of 16 different events that take place across Minnesota during the coldest months of the year. From January through March, our Plunge crew will be traveling around the state to 16 different communities with one goal in mind: raise funds for Special Olympics Minnesota!
The concept is simple: Participants raise a minimum of $75 and take a dip into one of Minnesota’s frozen lakes. But the Plunges are so much more than that. They’re the kind of fun and exciting events that you really have to experience to understand.
To pledge your support for a plunger or to sign up, please follow the links below. Last year, nearly 400 people took the plunge.
http://www.plungemn.org/location/stpeter
The event coincides with NCAA Division III’s partnership with the Special Olympics. The purpose of the partnership is to improve the lives of Special Olympics athletes through their involvement with Division III student-athletes and to foster a mutual learning experience between Division III student-athletes and Special Olympics athletes. This provides the opportunity for student-athletes to engage with Special Olympics and collaborate with existing student-led programs on campus.
Throughout the spring, Gustavus athletes and other students will come together to volunteer for three Special Olympic events taking place on campus. Women’s hockey player Lindsey Hjelm is organizing the first event, a swimming meet and basketball tournament, set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 12 in Lund Center.
Gustavus will also host a Fun Run fundraiser benefiting the Special Olympics on April 22, and the regional Special Olympics track and field meet on May 6.