Скачать или смотреть BRRRRRRRRR! Brave Quad Citians took icy polar plunge to benefit Special Olympics

Brave souls jumped into some cold, cold water Saturday - on purpose - to benefit the Special Olympics of Iowa.

The annual Polar Plunge featured participants from all over the QCA, including school administrators, Iowa State Patrol Officers, members of the Scott County Sheriff's Office, various teams and single plungers, diving and dipping into Special Olympics Iowa's state-of-the-art mobile plunge unit.

Special Olympics athlete Jason Halkias said the Polar Plunge is one of the biggest events of the year for the organization. "So people are dunking into some cold water - I would hope it's cold - for a really great cause," Halkias said. "It's one of our biggest fundraisers of the year."

According to the Polar Plunge website, participants have raised over $5,000. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics Iowa and help to continue to provide year-round athletic, health, school, and leadership programming for Special Olympic athletes and Unified partners across Iowa.

Special Olympics Iowa provides high-quality training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in all 99 counties of Iowa. Twenty-three Olympic-style sports are offered to more than 14,500 athletes and Unified partners year-round. Through Special Olympics’ athletic, health, school, and leadership programs, individuals with intellectual disabilities reach their full potential and experience inclusion in their communities every day.