Duluth Polar Plunge returns for 25th year, benefits Special Olympics Minnesota

More than 450 people had signed up to take the chilly dip into Lake Superior at the end of Park Point for the 25th annual Duluth Polar Plunge Saturday, a law-enforcement–community fundraiser for Special Olympics Minnesota that the event page lists as having raised $3,013,709 over its 24-year history. The in-person plunge was scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., with last call for plungers at 3:00 p.m., and day-of check-in moved to 310 Pub, 310 S Lake Ave, with registration opening at 11 a.m.

Organizers ran shuttles from The Garden beginning at 11 a.m. through the end of the plunge because Park Point has very limited parking, and The Garden offered food and drink from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event page noted there is no pre-registration for this Plunge and that plunge timeslots open approximately three days before the in-person date, with teams or individuals not signed up by noon the Friday before automatically assigned a timeslot.

On the shore, Northern News Now reported about 100 jumpers in line at one point, standing before a hole cut in Lake Superior that was described as large enough for several police volunteers to wait while people jumped one at a time. The St. Louis County Rescue Squad was on site and "always suited up in the water to help plungers," and the event thanked the U.S. Coast Guard – Duluth, Duluth Fire Department, Mayo Ambulance and other emergency and volunteer partners on its official list of supporters.

The Duluth Police Department again partnered with Special Olympics Minnesota to host the event. Duluth Police Officer Jeremy O’Connor captured the familiar tone around the fundraiser: “It’s really fun time. people come out, they’ve done it for years. maybe they’re first timer they’re a little nervous, after they do it they want to come back over and over again. people wear costumes. it’s just a really good time, and good get together in the middle of winter,”

Fundraising rules and outcomes varied across reports: Northern News Now said participants who raised $75 for the organization were allowed to get in line and jump, while the event page reported that in 2025, 679 plungers raised $146,335. Local outlets rounded the historical total as "over $3 million" across 25 years as the community marked this anniversary; the event page provides the more specific $3,013,709 figure for the 24-year span through 2025.

The plunge mixes spectacle with community support for people with intellectual disabilities; investigator Ryan Temple of the Duluth Police Department said the athletes' presence is central to the event's purpose: “It’s great to see the special Olympic athletes come down. Some of them will jump in the water with us, some are just here to watch, but to see the reaction of the athletes, that’s what we do it for,”

Sponsors and community partners listed on the event page included Bentleyville, The Garden, Duluth All‑Stars, Dunkin’, KKCB B105, KOOL 101.7, MIX 108 and WEBC 560, reflecting a broad coalition of local organizations supporting Special Olympics Minnesota. Officials told local media they plan to continue the Polar Plunge for years to come, keeping the Park Point tradition alive while channeling funds and public attention to training and education programs for Special Olympics athletes.