Oakland County Polar Plunge has big turnout from law enforcement
(CBS DETROIT) - The Polar Plunge is back in Southeast Michigan just in time for single digit temperatures.
The Oakland County Polar Plunge at Walled Lake welcomed jumpers from all over the area to raise money for Special Olympics. This year though, was a bit different, with a whole jump dedicated to law enforcement.
Sgt. Brad Connell of the Walled Lake Township Police Department says 300 plungers registered this year and nearly two-thirds of them are members of Oakland County law enforcement.
"I mean, we started by jumping into a pool," Connell said when recalling his first jump seven years ago.
Connell says they raised around $14,000 in his first year participating. Fast forward to 2023 and they've eclipsed $100,000.
"To see it evolve and kind of snowball, no pun intended, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger," Connell said.
He says more departments keep getting involved every year, only increasing the turnout and ultimately a bigger total donation to the Special Olympics.
"It's those athletes that benefit from it," he said.
Co-workers, teammates, friends and even family all took to Walled Lake, including the father son duo Garrett and Perry Edgell of the Farmington Hills Police Department.
"Everybody feels the same thing so it's miserable but its fun," Garrett said.
"It's cold but it's for a good cause," Perry said.
