Organizers of this year's Windsor Polar Plunge are looking to raise $80,000 for Special Olympics Ontario.
The annual event takes place on February 28 outside of the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre in downtown Windsor.
Event co-ordinator Melanie Kish-Lewis says they're hoping to attract 300 participates this year.
She says last year about 250 people took part raising just shy of $77,000.
"What we do is we set up a pool on the outside front lawn at the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre and we let people fill it up with water and have them jump in and it's apparently a great time because we keep doing it year after year and it gets better and better," says Kish-Lewis.
A very cold day to kick-off this year’s Windsor Polar Plunge. Many St. Clair College students braved the chilly weather and enjoyed the slip and slide. This year’s event takes place on February 28th. #cklw @AM800CKLW pic.twitter.com/YbKwIoUEFf
— Rob Hindi (@rhindi800) January 15, 2025
An event kick-off was held Wednesday morning at St. Clair College's South Windsor Campus.
College students braved the chilly weather and slid down a slip and slide to promote the event.
Shirley Adamson is in the Greenhouse Technician Program and says it was cold but a fun experience.
"I just knew it was for a really good cause and it's my last year here and I'm graduating so I thought I would do it for the experience but mostly a great cause," says Adamson.
She says she got sprayed with the hose while she was sliding which added to her experience.
"I was a little scared at first that I would wipe out but it went pretty well, I just followed what everybody else did and went head first and slid right down," she says. "It was great."
This is the 11th year for the event and so far over a half a million dollars has been raised for Special Olympics Ontario.