BYRON CENTER, Mich. — 2020 was a tough year for Special Olympics athletes, as all in-person events were canceled. But that didn’t stop the Special Olympics team from taking the plunge Sunday.
The Polar Plunge is wide-spread fundraising event for Special Olympics. Usually, participants jump into a pool of cold water. But due to the pandemic, Sunday’s event had to take a different approach.
Instead of jumping into a pool, participants were “plunged” with fire hoses, and fire departments from all across West Michigan were there to help out.
“I've been doing polar plunges since 2006 and it was something different,” said one participant. “I've been sprayed with a fire hose before, but to do it as a polar plunge, that was something totally new to me."
Sunday’s event supported both the athletes and the future home of the new Special Olympics Michigan Center for Unified Sports and Inclusion located in Byron Township.
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