Hundreds Take Polar Plunge To Benefit Special Olympics
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than 1,800 people plunged into the lake - at least part-way - at North Avenue Beach on Sunday to benefit Special Olympics.
And they wore everything but wetsuits.
Chris Pasco of Chicago Heights took the plunge, wearing "my clown costume from several Halloweens ago."
Pasco took the plunge to support his son, who has cerebral palsy.
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"He's 13 years old. He's in Boy Scouts now," Pasco said. "He's doing really good. He's about to graduate 8th grade, going into high school. He's coming along really good."
Organizers said they'd raised more than half a million dollars.
"It's good. It's good to see that there are still nice, giving people out there ... who give their time, give their money for a good cause. It makes me feel good," Pasco said.
His team also poked fun at themselves -- and the effects of dipping into near-freezing Lake Michigan -- by dubbing themselves "Team Maximum Shrinkage."
Lake Michigan water temperature on Sunday was about 38 degrees for the Polar Plunge.
