Warsaw will host a Polar Plunge® benefiting Special Olympics Indiana for the first time Saturday in Center Lake. The plunge will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Center Lake Pavilion, 117 E. Canal St., Warsaw. On-site registration, including walk-ups, will open at 10:30 a.m. at the pavilion. Pre-registration will also be available from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday evening on-site. Special Olympics athlete Robert Svinarich of Warsaw will be plunging and volunteering at the event. Other guests include Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer; Brenda Linky, secondary special education coordinator at Warsaw Community High School, who will be taking the plunge in support of the Tigers Unified Track Team; and Mark Dobson, CEO of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce. “The Polar Plunge is the least that I can do to support Special Olympics. It is a great organization serving some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. Please come out and support all who plunge,” Dobson is quoted as saying in the release from Special Olympics Indiana. In order to plunge, participants must raise a minimum of $75 or $50 with a student ID. Awards will be given for those who raise the most, and there will be prizes for the best costume, incentives for dollars raised and an After Splash Bash. Participants are encouraged to pre-register online for the Polar Plunge at www.soindiana.org Plungers are invited to warm up immediately afterward at the After Splash Bash party at Center Lake Pavilion. While complimentary hot food and beverages will be available for plungers, a $5 fee will be charged for guests to partake in food and beverage. Polar Plunge events are presented with assistance from Indiana Law Enforcement Torch Run® to benefit Special Olympics, which features more than 800 participants in Indiana. Members of The Warsaw Police and Fire departments, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department and Indiana State Police will provide dive team and emergency services for the Warsaw Polar Plunge. More than 900 Special Olympics athletes participate in programs offered by Kosciusko and surrounding counties. For more information about the Polar Plunge, visit www.soindiana.org or call 800-742-0612.
