About 200 jumpers take the plunge in Alexandria, raising more than $66,000 for Special Olympics MN w/videos

Two team members from Knute Kannonballers, Amanda Johnson, left, and Allie Janssen, take their turn at the Alexandria Polar Plunge. The annual event took place Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Janssen said their team raised $3,000. Other members included Chris Janssen, Alex Evenson, Casey Olson and Angie Sudbeck.

By Celeste Edenloff

February 25, 2023 at 3:45 PM

ALEXANDRIA — The sun was shining and the temperature was around 15 degrees during the 17th annual Alexandria Polar Plunge.

The annual event, which raises money for Special Olympics Minnesota, took place in front of Lure Lakebar and Zorbaz on Lake L'Homme Dieu Saturday, Feb. 25.

An estimated 200 jumpers took part in this year's event, according to the Alexandria Polar Plunge website. As of Saturday afternoon, teams raised more than $66,000. One of the organizers, Keith Melrose, will have official totals later this week.

After jumping in the freezing waters of Lake L'Homme Dieu during the Alexandria Polar Plunge, teammates Amanda Johnson, left, and Allie Janssen are helped out of the water.

Tom Tardif, owner of Wildfire Sauna in Alexandria, jumped in the freezing water of L'Homme Dieu during the Alexandria Polar Plunge on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Tardif had a sauna set up on the ice for plungers to sit in after they jumped.

Watch for more information and photos in both the Wednesday, March 1 and Friday, March 3 Echo Press.

By Celeste Edenloff

Celeste Edenloff is the special projects editor and a reporter for the Alexandria Echo Press. She has lived in the Alexandria Lakes Area since 1997. She first worked for the Echo Press as a reporter from 1999 to 2011, and returned in 2016 to once again report on the community she calls home.

About 200 jumpers take the plunge in Alexandria, raising more than $66,000 for Special Olympics MN w/videos

The annual event took place on Lake L'Homme Dieu Saturday, Feb. 25, in front of Zorbaz and Lure Lakebar.