Polar Plunge raises thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Missouri

Saturday, hundreds of people participated in the Columbia 2015 Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Missouri.

According to Special Olympics Missouri, about 500 people registered to participate in the fundraiser which was held at the Bass Pro Shops Lake. This is the eighth year the Polar Plunge has been held in Columbia.

The event was originally scheduled to be held last month, but was rescheduled due to cold weather. Crystal Schuster with Special Olympics Missouri said there was a much larger turnout this year compared to last.

“Last year we cut about six inches of ice off the water and it was snowing and icy the morning of and it was miserably cold,” Schuster said. “It was like 20 degrees outside. And this year, especially our spectators, we’ve got a lot more spectators this year, and it think it’s because of the nice weather.”

Special Olympics Missouri said it expected to raise at least $80,000 from the event.