16-02-2025
People take icy plunge in Mahomet for a heartwarming cause
MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — Over 300 people braved the cold weather today in Mahomet to polar plunge, while supporting a heartwarming cause.
It was to raise cold hard cash for Special Olympics Illinois. Participants took donations of $100 or more for the privilege to jump in the lake. And all the money raised goes to making sure special athletes can have a special experience for free.
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On Saturday, hundreds of people from across Central Illinois slipped into their bathing suits and costumes for the 25th annual law enforcement torch run polar plunge.
'This is the second longest polar plunge in the state of Illinois,' said Torch Run Coordinator Micah McMahon.
He's also a Champaign County corrections officer and has been helping run the plunge since 2016.
'It's a great feeling getting to see that the money we're raising is ensuring that our athletes get to do their events for free at no cost,' McMahon said.
As of Saturday morning, they raised just under $78,000. McMahon said their numbers have been going up every year apart from 2020, something one athlete is excited for.
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'It's amazing,' said Polar Plunge Ambassador Emerson Hjort. 'We love it. Tons of people always come out, always supporters, always help us to raise different kind of money.'
Emerson said she was plunging today. She talked about how she was feeling before.
'In this winter, I'm a little bit nervous,' Hjort said. 'I'm a little bit nervous to slip and fall. It's part of the fun part of the cause.'
The good news is pretty much everyone is nervous. But they're not doing it alone, and McMahon said that's the best part.
'When you build your teams up, raise that money, and then you go out there and jump into the water, get out and then get some lunch afterwards,' McMahon said. 'And it's a great time.'
If you missed Saturday's dip in the lake, you still have time to find one. There's a couple different options across Central Illinois over the next couple weeks. You can visit this website to learn more.
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