(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Phillip Maiani

Feb. 26, 2022

Special Olympics Alberta Polar Plunge virtual event in Red Deer Saturday

Feb 25, 2022 | 4:48 PM

It’s time for Red Deerians and central Albertans to take the plunge this weekend.

On Saturday Feb. 26, the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Alberta will be taking place virtually in Red Deer.

Opening ceremonies will take place on the Polar Plunge Alberta social media pages and all participants from Red Deer and the surrounding area are encouraged to share their videos online as part of the celebration.

Every year, officials say hundreds of Albertans raise money for Special Olympics Alberta by taking a dip in freezing water temperatures. All of the money raised goes towards supporting programming for the more than 3,000 Special Olympics Athletes across Alberta.

The event being virtual this year, allows participants to bring the Polar Plunge right to their homes and express their creativity in how they take the plunge. There are no restrictions in how the plunge is performed. It can be done with buckets of cold water, snow angels, or even a kiddie pool.

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The virtual Red Deer event is being put on by the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics (LETR).

Officials note over 250 law enforcement officers from 20 different agencies who partake in LETR initiatives across the province. Other first responder groups including Emergency Medical Responders and Firefighters have also participated in LETR events as a way to increase the positive impact it has in the community.

LETR Alberta fundraising efforts have successfully raised more than $400,000 annually.

There will be awards handed out for this year’s top competitive plungers in the following categories:

• Top Individual Plunger
• Top Law Enforcement Plunger
• Top Special Olympics Athlete Plunger
• Top Team in Alberta
• Top Law Enforcement Team
• Top University Team

To register for the Polar Plunge or to donate, visit https://www1.specialolympics.ab.ca/albertatorchrun/2022-polar-plunge/