ByDanielle Seat|February 19, 2021 at 7:24 AM EST - Updated February 19 at 7:24 AM
ISLE OF PALMS, S.C. (WCSC) - People who want to participate in the 2021 Isle of Palms Polar Plunge this year will have to get creative with taking the “plunge” at home.
The annual fundraiser is going virtual because of the pandemic.
Leigh Lowery with the South Carolina Special Olympics says people have been plunging in pools and lakes. For the first time, Lowery says they have all law enforcement agencies in the Lowcountry on board.
Mount Pleasant Inspector Don Calabrese says there is no set date for when you should do the plunge this year, but they are hoping everyone will submit their videos before the end of March.
He says with the safety precautions causing them to cancel the event, they are taking advantage of the extra time to fundraise and support the more than 30,000 special Olympic athletes across the state.
“We can’t just not do it. It wasn’t even an option,” Calabrese said. “We are trying to do it in the safest way possible. We don’t want to bring too many people together and have large numbers. But the event is such an exciting time for the athletes who come together. It promotes inclusion. For these athletes it’s not a one-day event, the Special Olympics is a year-round movement.”
Calabrese says the Mount Pleasant Police Department will be doing their own Polar Plunge and running into the ocean at Isle of Palms in a couple weeks, but that date is not yet set.
Click here to make a donation and take the plunge.
So far the Polar Plunge of South Carolina has raised $8,869 of their $30,000 goal.
Last year this event raised more than $40,000 dollars for the athletes.
Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.