by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
A Sartell man is one of the team members who will take part in a Polar Plunge on Saturday, Feb. 18, to raise funds for Special Olympics Minnesota.
The event, open to public spectators, will take place starting at 1 p.m. on Pleasant Lake near Rockville.
Jeff Jacobs, 55, is a member of a team dubbed the St. Cloud Puddle Jumpers. He has never done a Polar Plunge before, though he’d thought about maybe doing one someday. Then, not long ago, while playing a volleyball game, a player named Lyndon Johnson of Sauk Rapids was talking about getting a team together for the next plunge. Jacobs decided to join the team.
“I’m a kind of adventurous-type of person, so I’m looking forward to it,” Jacobs said. “Besides, it’s a good cause.”
Jacobs works for the maintenance department at St. Cloud Hospital. He and his wife, Julie, have three grown children.
For many years, each winter the Polar Plunge, sponsored by law enforcement, raises funds to send children to the Minnesota Special Olympics games. Participants dare to plunge into ice-cold water of a lake. Several events take place throughout the winter months throughout Minnesota.
Other members of the Puddle Jumpers team are Johnson, team captain, (mentioned above), who has raised $1,250 of his $13,000 fundraising goal, the second-highest amount of money raised so far in the statewide effort; Sarah Klehr of St. Cloud (originally from St. Joseph); Eduarda Diel, a foreign-exchange student from Brazil; and Tim Richards and his two sons, Nate and Sam, of St. Cloud.
To donate to the Puddle Jumpers team, google Minnesota Polar Plunge, then click on “Donate” and type in the name of the person or the team (St. Cloud Puddle Jumpers in this case) to which you want to donate.
Jeff Jacobs
