People lined up Friday, willing to be "freezin' for a reason".
A steady stream of law enforcement officers, auxiliary officers, students, faculty and alumni from St. Clair College made the walk up a ladder in -2 C temperatures and a -11 C windchill to jump into a cold pool of water, all in the name of a good cause, in the fifth annual Windsor-Essex Polar Plunge to benefit the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ontario.
Participants made their way through the St. Clair College SportsPlex and into the water, only to scurry out of it as the cold hit their skin. Volunteers and cadets from Windsor police were on hand with towels and to escort the jumpers back into the warm building.
This year's version of the plunge lasted only Friday afternoon, but that did not deter people from wanting to take part. Adults paid either a $50 registration or raised at least $100 on their own. Students paid a $30 fee or raised at least $60.
Over the first four years of the event, roughly $185,000 has been raised to support the Torch Run for Special Olympics Ontario, which opens up sports and athletic opportunities for people of all ages with an intellectual or developmental disability. Law enforcement has teamed up with them in plunges across Ontario. In 2018, $52,000 in financial contributions were collected, along with $60,000 for in-kind contributions. This year, organizers were hoping to bring in at least $60,000 in financial contributions.
Windsor Police Chief Al Frederick had planned to participate for the last time as an officer before his retirement later this year, but he was represented by Deputy Chief Pam Mizuno, who helped cheer the jumpers on. Deputy Chief Brad Hill was among the higher-ranked officers who took the plunge.
