RICHLAND, Wash. – The Polar Plunge is returning this weekend after being postponed in January due to dangerously cold temperatures. It’s happening at the Columbia Point Marina in Richland, all to benefit Special Olympics Washington.
According to Kobe Bower, a Special Olympics Coordinator, hundreds of brave community members will jump into the Columbia River Saturday morning for the Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Washington.
“It’s pretty fantastic,” said Bower. “The Tri-Cities is very unique in the fact that everybody steps up and just is willing to literally freeze for a cause. Even when it was a couple of months ago and it was going to be like 10 degrees. Everyone was still like let’s do it.”
Bower said some good did come out of delaying the plunge. Even more people had time to register for the event.
Kobe Bower said some people try to prepare in advance to acclimate their bodies to the cold.
“They will do lots of ice baths, they’ll be running in the cold water, excuse me the cold weather and try to do that,” she said. “Most of them, they just try to fundraise and then hope it’s not too cold that day.”
Bower said after plunging in the cold water, they will have ways for those to get warm. There will be hot tubs, hot chocolate, and heated changing rooms.
Bower is even going to brave the cold and take the plunge. She said she wouldn’t recruit people to do this if she herself wouldn’t.
