Special Olympics Illinois modifies popular Polar Plunge event for pandemic Annual Polar Plunge fundraiser events for Special Olympics Illinois will be changed this year because of the pandemic. A new initiative called Plunge At Home will encourage people to avoid the crowd at local ponds and lakes. Daily Herald file photo, 2018
Updated 1/1/2021 9:52 AM
One of the biggest annual fundraisers for Special Olympics Illinois is the Polar Plunge, where people gather to do their best impressions of penguins and walruses by taking a winter dip in a local pond or lake.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic has made gatherings unsafe, this year Special Olympics Illinois is offering a new way to participate Plunge At Home.
UpdatedFri, Dec 18, 2020 at 3:01 pm CT
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Mokena Police Chief Steve Vaccaro has retired after serving as chief for over 6 years. (Shutterstock)
MOKENA, IL Mokena Police Chief Steve Vaccaro has retired after serving as chief for over 6 years. The Mokena Village Board held a special board meeting on Friday, and the retirement/voluntary separation agreement was unanimously approved.
In November, the Village hired independent counsel to investigate after patrol officers and sergeants of the Mokena Police Department wrote a letter expressing a lack of confidence in Vaccaro. Later that month, former Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy was named interim chief while the investigation continued.
PEORIA â In a historic moment, health care workers in Chicago and Peoria on Tuesday became the first groups in Illinois to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, marking what Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike called âthe beginning of the endâ of the pandemic.
The vaccine, developed by the drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech, was granted Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week and is now being shipped throughout the United States. Early studies have shown that after two doses that are given 21 days apart, the vaccine is 95% effective in preventing the disease.
DeKalb mayor, Ward 2 city council hopefuls among first to file for candidacy Monday daily-chronicle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from daily-chronicle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Polar Plunges for Special Olympics Approaching Published on December 15 2020 2:54 pm Last Updated on December 15 2020 2:55 pm
This winter, Special Olympics Illinois invites you to “be bold and get cold” for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.
Registration is now open for the 2021 Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge season at www.plungeillinois.com. The 2021 Polar Plunge season will run from Saturday, February 20 through Saturday, March 27. Registration opened on Tuesday, December 8. All proceeds collected by plungers benefit the more than 23,000 traditional athletes and 13,000 Young Athletes of Special Olympics Illinois.
This year, all plunge locations will offer a Plunge At Home option. What does an at-home plunge look like? The options are endless. Please check out the Plunge At Home page to learn more. Organizers say, It isn’t HOW you plunge. It isn’t WHERE you plunge. It is THAT you plunge in support of those athletes.