At the Shore of Sunrise Lake, A Winter Ritual Becomes a Movement for Inclusion

BLAINE, MN

The air off Sunrise Lake on Lakeside Commons Park carried the sharp bite of late February, Minnesota winter still very much in command. But this Saturday, February 28, will be different. Beneath bundled wool hats and layered parkas, hearts will beat a little faster, and thousands will gather not just to watch, but to support a cause greater than cold water ever could be.

The 2026 Anoka County Polar Plunge, scheduled for noon at Lakeside Commons Park, 3020 Lake Parkway in Blaine, is shaping up to be one of the most meaningful chapter in a nearly decade-and-a-half tradition of unity, courage, and community impact.

At its core, the Polar Plunge is a fundraiser presented by Minnesota’s Law Enforcement Torch Run, a grassroots, year-round advocacy and fundraising movement supporting Special Olympics Minnesota athletes. Participants commit to raising a minimum of $75 before stepping into frigid water as a symbolic and tangible investment in the lives they help empower.

This year’s event in Anoka County has already recorded a storied history: since its inception, the local plunge has raised more than $2,445,840, a testament to community generosity and the sustained effort of volunteers, families, students, law enforcement, business partners, and everyday Minnesotans.

More Than a Night Out

Days before the plunge itself, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) gathered in a decidedly warmer venue: a local bowling alley. What might have seemed like a simple social fundraiser became a vivid expression of the plunge’s deeper mission, a night of camaraderie where sheriff’s deputies, support staff, family members, friends, and Special Olympics Minnesota athletes shared lanes, laughs, and purpose.

The atmosphere was one of joyful inclusion: lanes filled with both seasoned bowlers and newcomers, where the scoreboard mattered less than the conversations between neighbors and athletes. As one baton of community spirit passed from staff to family to athlete, the event embodied a core value of the plunge itself, unification through shared experience.

The Sheriff’s Office described the event as not just a fundraiser, but as a moment to break down barriers and connect on equal footing. They also encouraged community support through donations to Team ACSO via the official Polar Plunge fundraising page.

Why the Plunge Matters

To the casual observer, the Polar Plunge might appear a spectacle of eccentric costume choices and fleeting chills. Yet behind each registration and every raised dollar is a direct investment into the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities across Minnesota.

Although Special Olympics Minnesota does not publicly break down exact statewide allocations for every event, the organization’s framework for programming illuminates what that financial support sustains:

• Year-round athletic training and statewide competitions in a range of sports, from bocce and basketball to swimming and track.
• Inclusive health screenings and wellness programs, ensuring access to better overall health outcomes.
• Unified Champion Schools, where students with and without intellectual disabilities train, lead, and learn side by side, advancing inclusion beyond athletics and into school culture.

In communities statewide, these programs resonate far beyond the icy moment of a plunge. They contribute to measurable gains in confidence, social connection, sustained health, and life skills, impact that stretches well past a single winter day.

A Tradition of Winter and Warmth

This Saturday’s plunge is more than a fundraiser. It is a ritual of shared risk, unity, and empathy. As deputized teams take their turns at the edge of Sunrise Lake, they join a broad mosaic of Minnesotans, from high school students to firefighters, from business leaders to grandparents, who commit to the same icy threshold for the wellbeing of others.

Registrants are advised that check-in begins around 10:30 a.m., with plunging officially commencing at noon. Shuttle services will run from satellite parking points, including Blainbrook Entertainment Center, Renovation Church, and Pizza Pub Prime, to accommodate the crowds.

For spectators, the event is free and open to all, with costumes, music, and community spirit creating an atmosphere more akin to a winter festival than a polar challenge. For those unable to attend in person, donations remain open at
reg.plungemn.org/team/acso, where every contribution helps maintain momentum for programs that sustain more than a season.

The water may be cold. But the reason so many Minnesotans dare to jump says something profound about the warmth at the heart of this community.

MinneapoliMedia