Standing on the platform, sophomore geology major Michele Murday stared down at the icy, freezing water, ready to take the plunge into a pool at the second annual Polar Plunge.
Murday came out to support her cousin who suffers from Down syndrome. All the money raised at the plunge will benefit the Special Olympics, something Murday's cousin has participated in. But she was not the only one there plunging for personal reasons.
Twelve teams and several community members plunged into the above-ground pool at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Sponsored by Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and the University Police Department, the event was divided up into two separate categories: a community category and a greek category. People of all ages came out to support the cause and some even dressed up in costumes.
In the community category, people jumped individually, but for the greek category, each fraternity and sorority in attendance formed groups of six and competed in a relay race. Each team member had to leap off the platform, swim to the ladder on the other side of the pool, climb out, run back to the platform and tag his or her team member.
Delta Tau Delta took home the gold for the men, while Delta Zeta snatched it up for the women.
"It was so cold, but totally worth it," Courtney Boyce, a member of the Phi Mu sorority, said.
The individual participants leapt off of a platform and into the frigid waters of the pool.
The event remained injury and hypothermia free.
At most, each participant was in the water for 15 seconds. Once they reached the ladder and got out, they were allowed to go into the Student Center, dry off and change into warm clothes.
"Polar Plunge is a lot of fun," Gene Burton, director of Public Safety, said. "It is a great organization and a great opportunity to raise money for Special Olympic athletes and bring members of the community and the university together."
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