Four brave women participated in the Polar Bear Plunge in Duluth on February 18, raising funds for Special Olympics Minnesota. (L-R) Jessica Jacobsen, Brianna Houglum (lending moral support), Lollie Cooper, Bryann Bockovich and Linda McClellan. They took the plunge to benefit Special Olympics and to honor Linda’s daughter, Holli. Their team was “Holli’s Hope.”
When Bryann Bockovich of Grand Marais got a call from her friend Linda McClellan, asking her to take part in a fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics Minnesota, she said yes. When her friend told her the event was a Polar Bear Plunge in the Duluth harbor on February 18, 2012, Bockovich still said yes. And she not only joined the Polar Bear Plunge, she recruited several other Cook County women to take the plunge as well.
Joining Bryann Bockovich were Jessica Jacobsen, Lollie Cooper, and the instigator, Linda McClellan of Elk River, MN. Brianna Houglum of Grand Marais lent moral support to the plungers.
The women took the plunge to support Special Olympics and Linda McClellan’s daughter Holli, in particular. Holli is a member of a Special Olympic bowling team and she just completed a competition in which she earned third place. The team name was “Holli’s Hope.”
Polar Bear Plunge participants must raise a minimum of $75 for the honor of jumping into frigid Lake Superior. The five friends did much more than that, raising $1,700.
Are we really doing this? The women bravely took the plunge. Participants hit the water and then had to run to shore—where they had to wait in line to warm up! They were frozen but had fun and will likely do it again in 2013.
Bockovich and the team were all smiles after the event— through the shivers. Asked if the team would do it again, Bockovich said, “Yes! I did it for Holli and yes, we are going to do it again. We’d love to have more people come join us!”
The Polar Bear Plunge— presented by Minnesota law enforcement as part of the year-round Law Enforcement Torch Run® events to benefit Special Olympics—is a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to support Special Olympics athletes by jumping into frigid Minnesota waters. It consists of 16 different events that take place across Minnesota during the coldest months of the year. From January through March, the Polar Bear Plunge crew travels around the state to 16 different communities with one goal in mind: raise funds for Special Olympics Minnesota!
Overall the Duluth event raised $165,000 for Special Olympics.
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