Vince Vaughn wore a Blackhawks captain’s jersey and jumped into a 30-degree Lake Michigan Sunday morning as part of the annual Polar Plunge. At first I wondered why people like Vaughn, former Bears great Otis Wilson and even pop star Lady Gaga would do this.
Why would people willingly jump into a frigid Lake Michigan with an air temperature of barely 25 degrees?
It wasn’t just a publicity stunt for Vince Vaughn’s new movie Unfinished Business or a way to promote his fandom of the Blackhawks. Vince Vaughn, Otis Wilson, Lady Gaga and her fiance Taylor Kinney jumped into Lake Michigan and did the Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics. They were able to raise more than a million dollars for Special Olympics and were among the group of over 4,000 people who took part in the Plunge; an event which started in 2000.
The official Facebook page of Lady Gaga posted this message:
feels so good to do things for a good cause like the Special Olympics. It’s great donate money, but also great to donate a gesture of love for those who deserve to be showered with it.
The event has grown considerably in its 15 years of existence. According to CBS Chicago, “That first year the Polar Plunge raised $27,000 for Special Olympics and about 40 people took part.”