Omaha Polar Plunge Draws Hundreds to Benefit Special Olympics Nebraska

Dozens of participants and hundreds of spectators gathered at Lake Zorinsky for the Omaha Polar Plunge, a Valentine’s Day fundraiser for Special Olympics Nebraska held Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. The event, staged at 156th & F Street with check-in at 9:30 a.m. and the plunge at 11:00 a.m., produced conflicting public totals: Classy lists "Omaha Polar Plunge 2026 has raised $335,241 out of their goal of $350,000" while Core Bank reported "This year’s Omaha plunge raised over $350,000 in total."

Photographs published in a local gallery capture the chaos and color of the day. Omaha World-Herald captions note "Omaha Police Lt. Marcus Taylor participates in the Omaha Polar Plunge," and show spectators cheering from a dock as "people make their way out of the water." Other OWH images record lining up to plunge, crowds on docks, and one captioned sequence noting "A man carries a dog above the water while participating in the Omaha Polar Plunge."

Corporate teams were prominent. Core Bank reported "our team of 57 plungers raised over $35,000 for Special Olympics Nebraska before diving into the icy waters of Lake Zorinsky," and listed Core Bank Executive Vice President Mike Rasmussen celebrating his last Polar Plunge with colleagues. Classy’s team leaderboard shows Core Bank at "$34,821 raised out of their goal of $25,000, 58 members," while Charles Schwab is listed at "$26,198 raised out of their goal of $20,000, 65 members" and Titan Dashers appears among top teams.

Individual fundraising leaders on the Classy page include an entry displayed as "Christopher Dornbusch has raised UAH 14,803 out of their goal of UAH 500," followed by Mike Rasmussen at "$3,875 raised out of their goal of $3,000," Jason Hagan at "$3,375 raised out of their goal of $5,000," Bret Siepker at "$3,200 raised out of their goal of $3,500," and Staucia Dumont at "$3,175 raised out of their goal of $3,500." Classy’s event text also notes "Minimum donations to participate start at $50 per plunger" and that "Awards will be given to the best costume (individual or team) and highest fundraisers (top 3)." Participants were encouraged to "Share your plunge online using #BeBoldGetCold."

Core Bank tied the plunge to Valentine’s Day, writing "Because this year’s plunge landed on Valentine’s Day, our theme was 'Cold Water, Warm Hearts,' and our plungers donned pastel shirts and temporary tattoos with fun sayings ('BRR MINE,' 'SNOW CUTE,' 'CHILL 2GETHER,' and more)." Core Bank said teams and Special Olympics representatives celebrated afterwards at Brewsky’s Food & Spirits (15350 Weir St), listed on Classy as the post-plunge party location.

Special Olympics athletes were part of the program: Core Bank recalled that "our employees had the privilege of hearing athlete Talisa Stumpf speak" and noted she "is accomplished in bowling and swimming" and "will be representing Team Nebraska in bowling at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota." Core Bank also highlighted Rachel Mulligan, saying she and her father "joined our Polar Plunge team this year – raising over $1,500!" and recounted Rachel’s prior competition history at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Austria 2017 and the World Games invitation in 2025.

Public records from the event show several numerical discrepancies needing confirmation: Core Bank’s team total and membership count (57 plungers, "over $35,000") differ from Classy’s listing for Core Bank ($34,821, 58 members), and the overall event total differs between Classy’s $335,241 and Core Bank’s "over $350,000." Photographer credits and the Omaha World-Herald gallery publish date were not included in the provided captions and should be confirmed for formal attribution.

Talisa Stumpf’s upcoming representation of Team Nebraska at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games gives a clear follow-through to the fundraiser: the plunge’s costumes, donations, and teams funneled support toward athletes who will compete in Minnesota later this year.