Kitchener-Waterloo

Guelph polar plunge raises over $32,000 for Special Olympics

A Guelph fundraiser that saw people jump into an icy outdoor pool of water on Saturday for the Special Olympics far surpassed its goal of $20,000, raising more than $32,000 instead.

Total exceeds initial fundraising goal of $20,000

Guelph Const. Chris Probst dives into the icy cold water at the polar plunge in Guelph on Saturday. The event was a fundraiser for the Special Olympics Spring Games, which are being held in Guelph in May. (Guelph Police Deputy Chief Paul Martin/Twitter)

A Guelph fundraiser that saw people jump into an icy outdoor pool of water on Saturday for the Special Olympics far surpassed its goal of $20,000, raising more than $32,000 instead.

Guelph Police Chief Jeff DeRuyter, MP Lloyd Longfield and Mayor Cam Guthrie were joined by 152 other people, as well as 24 teams, at the polar plunge event. They all jumped into a pool of water set up on Johnson Green at the University of Guelph Saturday afternoon.

Almost 900 sponsors made donations to the various "plungers." 

The fundraiser was organized by Guelph Police to support the Special Olympics Spring Games, which will be held in Guelph May 26-28.