Editorial: Local Polar Plunge to help Special Olympics is Feb. 17

This icy weather with below-zero temperatures is a good time to plan for the Wayne County Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Michigan.
Van Buren Township divers will cut holes in the ice of Belleville Lake and then help the plungers out of the water after their dives.
The Belleville Yacht Club, 831 E. Huron River Dr., is again hosting the event. This year it will be on Saturday, Feb. 17, starting at 10 a.m. with pre-plunge preliminaries and a pre-plunge party. At noon the plunging is scheduled to begin and then the plungers will go back inside and have a post-plunge party until around 2 p.m.
There are complimentary lunches for plungers who raise at least $100 and tickets for spectators so they can eat lunch, too. The local goal is $45,000.
More than two dozen Polar Plunges have been scheduled throughout the state in January, February, and March.
The jumpers are helping to raise funds for thousands of special athletes who participate in Special Olympics Michigan, a year-round program offering sports for those with intellectual disabilities. The goal is to help them receive respect as members of their communities.
The Polar Plunge is a Law Enforcement Torch Run event with a goal of raising $1.5 million statewide this year. Getting the urge to jump in the lake?