CAPE GIRARDEAU — The 20th Annual Cape Girardeau Polar Plunge on Feb. 7, 2026, at Cape County Park North was a splashing success, raising over $60,000 to date. A total of 150 brave men and women from around the area donned costumes and swimwear to take a chilly dip. In addition, the Polar Bear Strut 5k took place in December and raised over $3,000. Online fundraising is still ongoing. Organizers of the Plunge still hope to raise an additional $5,000 to reach the goal of $65,000. Donations can still be made online. Visit PlungeMO.org and click on Cape Girardeau! Fundraising momentum will continue with another Polar Plunge hosted by Southeast Missouri State University Greek Life on March 28. Their goal is $20,000. “It was a beautiful and amazing day to be raising money for incredible athletes,” said Penny Williams, Plunge Coordinator. “Thank you to everyone who stepped far beyond their comfort level to help someone else.” Top individual fundraisers: • 1st Place Fundraiser – Addison Stratton, Chaffee High School StuCo ($3,230) • 2nd Place Fundraiser – Lisa Berryhill, SOMO Athlete and Plunge Ambassador ($2,030) • 3rd Place Fundraiser – Jackie Tanner, Sam’s Club ($1,342) Top team fundraisers: • Top Fundraising Team – Chaffee High School StuCo ($7,921) • Top Law Enforcement Team – Copcicles, Cape Girardeau Police Dept ($1,490) • Top Fundraising School – Festus Middle School StuCo ($5,626) Special Recognition • Spirit of the Plunge “John John Atkinson” Award – Jimmie Easton – Egyptian High School Competition for the Golden Plunger was steep this year. Participants were encouraged to come in costume and compete for the chance to take home the “Golden Plunger.” Golden Plunger Winners – Group • Group 1st Place – Festus Middle School StuCo Smurfs • Group 2nd Place – Chaffe StuCo Stars • Group 3rd Place – Sam’s Club Celebrities • Individual 1st Place – Hali Shelton • Individual 2nd Place – Lynn Shuffit • Individual 3rd Place – Nathan Waring • More than 10 SOMO athletes volunteered at this year’s event, including Plunge Ambassadors Lisa Berryhill and Daniel Fultz. Both they worked for months to help spread awareness of the Plunge! “Special Olympics means so much to me,” said Berryhill. “It was a great day, and I feel so much acceptance and support.” The event was held in conjunction with the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Thank you so much to our sponsors! • Host Sponsors included the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Cape Girardeau Fire Department, Cape County Parks Department, and Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. • Polar Level sponsors included River Radio, Chick-fil-A, Marcellous Jones Foundation, Banterra Bank, Kiwanis Club, Coad Toyota, Drury Southwest, AID/VIP, Sam’s Club, and MRV Banks. • Tundra Level sponsors included Culver’s, Southern Cross Medical, American Family – Laurel and Chris Adkisson, Cotner Electric, ReStore, and 1NB. For more information about the Polar Plunge, visit PlungeMO.org. | 