CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Special Olympics Virginia hosted its fourth annual Polar Plunge at Pocahontas State Park on Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures were in the mid-30s during the plunge, but the northeasterly wind meant that feels-like temps were in the lower 30s. As a result, the water was chilly for the scores of people who took a dip.
Special Olympian Mackenzie Tuck took the plunge to make a difference and support her community.
"I'm a special person that has needs and I've had it all my life," Tuck said. "And I wanted to do some fundraising for people like me. And even if it's just going into a lake, I raised about $300."
FULL INTERVIEW: The important reason Special Olympian took Polar Plunge
Tuck, who is on the Special Olympic basketball team in Chesterfield, said she plans to take the plunge again next year.
"It was my first year of doing it, and I just jumped in... I was like, 'I can do it,'" Tuck recalled. "Because I had shorts on and no shoes, and I just went in. It just felt like it was getting colder and colder, and then I plunged into the water."
Officials said the nearly $62,000 raised for the organization will be funneled back into local programming.
WTVR CBS 6 Crime Insider Jon Burkett returned as emcee for the event, which is the first of six polar plunges being held across Virginia to raise money for the organization.
To make a donation or get more information, visit PolarPlunge.com.
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