St. Olaf Women's Soccer Players Take an Icy Dip for a Good Cause

Hop in—the water’s nice and cold.

Several members of the St. Olaf College women’s soccer team will feel the chill when they participate in the South Metro Polar Bear Plunge on Saturday at Crystal Beach in Burnsville.

“We, as a team, like to find ways to give back to the community,” said Megan Campbell, captain of the women’s soccer team and a sophomore at St. Olaf.

The Polar Bear Plunge is an annual event held at several locations across the state. Teams and individuals raise money to jump in a frozen lake in the dead of winter and all the funds go to benefit Special Olympics Minnesota.

Eight women’s soccer team members are registered to participate and so far the team has raised $845, which is $120 above their goal. The majority of the team’s fundraising has been done online. They are requesting donations via email and referring donors to the Polar Bear Plunge website, where family and friends can pledge their support to a specific plunger.

This is the second  year the women’s soccer team has participated in the plunge. Last year, they raised about $400.

The St. Olaf Women’s Soccer team takes on a community outreach project every month. Former team captain and St. Olaf senior Deanna Schmidt said that the plunge is a good fit for the women’s soccer team because many of its members are already involved with Special Olympics Minnesota as volunteers.

The Polar Bear Plunge also serves as an excellent bonding opportunity for the team.

Last year, when they plunged, it was approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit at the designated location. Surviving a dunk in the icy cold water brought the team together and gave them a shared memory.

“It was a really great experience,” said Schmidt.

TO DONATE
Head to the St. Olaf women's soccer page and donate 

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