Many 'reasons for freezing' at the 2017 Polar Plunge

The 22nd annual Polar Plunge on Saturday will be the 10th consecutive time Jessie Wells, of Jefferson City, will take the chilly dip into the waters of Public Beach No. 2 at Lake of the Ozark State Park in support of Special Olympics Missouri.
The 22nd annual Polar Plunge on Saturday will be the 10th consecutive time Jessie Wells, of Jefferson City, will take the chilly dip into the waters of Public Beach No. 2 at Lake of the Ozark State Park in support of Special Olympics Missouri.

The 22nd annual Polar Plunge on Saturday will be the 10th consecutive time Jessie Wells, of Jefferson City, will take the chilly dip into the waters of Public Beach No. 2 at Lake of the Ozark State Park in support of Special Olympics Missouri.

Wells joins hundreds of others who dive into the lake each year and raise thousands for the nonprofit organization, which is able to offer year-round sports and training programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The Polar Plunge draws 400-600 participants and up to 1,000 spectators each year. According to Tim Jacobsen, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau, many of these visitors build a winter weekend getaway around the Polar Plunge to take advantage of off-season lodging rates and smaller crowds at the various year-around attractions, the news release said.

Events kick off Friday with two smaller plunges: the PeeWee Plunge and the Super Plunge. The PeeWee Plunge, which features a heated tent and warm-water pool, begins at 6:30 p.m. and is for children 9 years old and younger who also want to participate and contribute to Special Olympics. The Super Plunge, consisting of 24 dips in the lake within a 24-hour period, is for participants who want to go above and beyond in their fundraising efforts, according to the news release. Wells will be participating in her first Super Plunge this year.

The main event takes place Saturday and begins with registration noon-1:50 p.m. Many participating teams and individuals dress up in creative and often-themed costumes for their plunge, so a masquerade parade showcasing the plungers is scheduled at 2 p.m. Plungers then take to the water beginning at 2:30 p.m., according to the news release.

Later in the day, the festivities move to Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, the event's host hotel, for a Post-Plunge Party from 4-7 p.m. The party features the presentation of the "Golden Plunger Awards" for the best costumes, silent and live auctions, and food and drinks. The party is free for Polar Plunge participants but costs $5 per guest/spectator. All proceeds from the party will go to Special Olympics Missouri.

Prior to the afternoon plunge, there is the Polar Bear Strut, a 5K walk/run, Saturday morning. The Strut begins and concludes at Osage Beach City Hall. Registration for the Strut runs 8-9:30 a.m., with the walk/run kicking off at 10 a.m. Based upon last year's numbers, organizers are expecting close to 100 participants.

For more information on all the Polar Plunge activities at the Lake of the Ozarks, visit Special Olympics Missouri's website at www.somo.org.