From February 27 to March 21, local athletes—some pro, some not—will head to beaches throughout Illinois to take a frigid dip in Lake Michigan for the Polar Plunge, an event that encompasses 18 separate plunges and benefits Special Olympics Illinois.
Chris Winston, marketing and events director for the nonprofit organization, has been planning this year's iteration since August. Winston said the 2009 plunge had 1,801 registered participants—some 571 more than were registered last year at that time. "In tough times, people want to do more for charity," Winston speculated when asked to explain this year's increased registration. "Plus, this isn't a big-ticket item. We ask plungers to raise a minumum of $75, and almost everybody can do that."
Winston also noted that he and his planning crew have made an effort to "ramp up the plunge's team concept" this year. Although last year, the event's Web site featured a component that gave single registrants the option of forming a plunging team, this year "we also have folders with collateral about building teams and Polar Plunge business cards. Our area directors have been distributing the materials at businesses and schools throughout the state," Winston said.
Another element of the 2009 plunge that's helping to create buzz: the participation of the Chicago Blackhawks' defenseman Cam Barker. Today, Winston is putting the finishing touches on a plunge-focused public service announcement that will run on Comcast SportsNet during upcoming Blackhawks games.
In the home stretch of the planning process, "we're really working on the nuts-and-bolts marketing aspects," Winston concluded, noting that the earlier stage was more about reaching out to last year's participants.
