Polar Plunge on Otter Tail Lake set for Feb. 7

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

Each winter, the Otter Tail Polar Plunge is held on Otter Tail Lake to help raise funds to support Special Olympics Minnesota. The organization provides training and services to those with intellectual disabilities across the state.

The Otter Tail Plunge has raised over half a million dollars in the past six years and had 182 plungers in 2025, raising $82,243 in total last year. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Otter Tail Public Boat Landing across from the Pelican Bay Access on Highway 78 south of the City of Ottertail. The Plunge will begin at 12 p.m.

A shuttle will be available starting at 10:45 a.m. through the end of the plunge and is free to all participants and spectators. It will leave every 15 minutes from The Otter and back as parking is very limited at the lake access. 

NYM Boat Crew

Lund’s Boat Company in New York Mills hosts the NYM Boat Crew Polar Plunge team with Lee Ann Berndt as the team leader. She has organized their team efforts for the past three years and is looking forward to jump number four.

“The plunge itself is very exhilarating for the body,” said Berndt. “It’s a rush like no other, for sure. But of course, where the money goes in the community, it helps Special Olympics.”

Berndt said that she has a daughter with a disability and she finds this fundraising opportunity to be very important in helping to support local Special Olympics, which she said is growing with more local Unified Schools, allowing for Special Olympics programming.

“It’s the community,” she said, “It helps the Special Olympics—I feel it’s very important to help our disabled or special needs community to have an avenue to be in sports for their abilities. It’s very near and dear to my heart because I know the struggles personally having a disabled daughter. That’s the biggest thing for myself is helping out the community and Special Olympics.”

Though Lund’s had a few employees take the plunge the first year of the polar plunge, the following year they didn’t have a team. However, by year three, they wanted to get a team together once again. Human Resources reached out to Berndt as a member of the community outreach committee and asked if she would find someone to lead the charge.

“They couldn’t find anybody, so I was like, ‘alright, one time will be fine,’ and one time has now turned into four,” laughed Berndt. “And I love it! They gave me reigns to do whatever I wanted with putting a team together on behalf of the company. 

“I have a disabled daughter and I know that community pretty well in this area, and I know how much Special Olympics means to quite a few families, so it was close to my heart before I event started, but this kind of gave me an avenue to participate even more than I realized I could,” Berndt continued.

This year’s team currently has six members and is still recruiting, with Berndt’s yearly goal of 10 members or more. Lund’s matches up to $3,000 raised by the team to donate to Special Olympics. The team has had loyal support from local businesses and organizations and is always looking for more sponsors to support the cause.

“Thank you to the community,” said Berndt. “A lot of businesses have supported us with sponsorships or donations. To have a staple in our community—Lunds—sponsor us for $3,000 is a really fun adventure and the community really does pull through..”

This year, Berndt is most looking forward to seeing what sort of weather they will have for the Polar Plunge as it has changed each year she’s been involved.

“We have had quite a variety over the last three years,” she laughed. “Last year it was snowy and windy, the year before we didn’t have enough ice so you had to walk out from shore, and the first year it was just really cold. It’s always a surprise when we show up to see what it’s going to be and it’s always exhilarating to see how the community supports us, so that’s a fun aspect every year as we near jump day.”

Berndt’s son has even joined the Polar Plunge team and has recruited a friend from school to help their cause. She is looking forward to seeing more faces join their team in the year to come.

“I’ve got my son signed up with one of his friends and he’s working on getting some more,” she said. “So it’s nice to see some of the school students participating and figuring out what it’s all about.”

Any businesses or organizations which would like to sponsor a team are invited to call Berndt at (218) 298-1413 and can find more information about her team by visiting www.plungemn.org.

Hilltop Lumber

Taylor Krause, an employee at Hilltop Lumber in Ottertail, decided this year to begin a Polar Plunge team.

“I am taking the plunge because I’ve never done it before, it’s a unique thing, and it’s for a good cause!” said Krause. “I thought it would be fun and it’s for a good cause.”

With a total team of six members, Krause is excited to participate for the first time and is looking forward to taking the plunge with her fellow teammates.

“I am looking forward to going into the warm tent after coming out of the water,” she laughed. “I think it’s important because it brings people together for a good cause.”