Milwaukee Student-Athletes Take Part in Polar Plunge

A number of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student-athletes were part of the Wisconsin Special Olympics Polar Plunge last weekend.

The event has helped raise more than $10 million for Special Olympics since its inception in 1999.

UWM's involvement was coordinated through its Student-Athlete Advisory Council and involved a wide variety of Panther teams. The student-athletes gathered at McKinley Marina for the event Saturday, taking the plunge into Lake Michigan with a number of other individuals and organizations around Milwaukee.

"This was a great experience," Assistant Athletic Director Deidre Merritt, who jumped in the water with the student-athletes, said. "We've had a great partnership with Special Olympics and have gotten our SAAC very involved with the organization. We were all excited to participate in the Polar Plunge and it was a great event. I can tell you it was a delayed reaction, but the reaction none-the less was that the water was extremely cold. We all had fun, though, and honestly walked out of there saying we can't wait to do it again next year."