Team Montgomery Raises $653 in Polar Plunge

Hundreds of people trekked out to Loon Lake in Yorkville on Sunday to participate in the 11th annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge. And for the first time, a team from the joined them.

Officer Ashley Mauer led a group of five in the Polar Plunge, a charity event to raise money for the Special Olympics. Teams raise donations from family and friends, and to earn the money, they jump into the frigid waters of Loon Lake.

Mauer organized the first-ever Team Montgomery, which included herself, her husband Bryan Mauer, and three of her fellow Montgomery officers: Chuck Brack, Steve Jungermann and Armando Sanders.

Together, the quintet raised $653 for Special Olympics athletes. But in order to do that, they had to take the plunge. It’s against Polar Plunge rules to wear a wetsuit or protective clothing, so the members of Team Montgomery wore shorts and t-shirts into the lake.

“It was fun. I was the only one who didn’t duck their head under the water, which they told me doesn’t count as much,” Mauer laughed.

Mauer said she hopes to get more of her fellow officers on board and under the water next year, including Police Chief Daniel Meyers, who had a conference to attend on Sunday.

“Otherwise he would have been there,” Mauer said.

According to the Special Olympics website, 272 plungers took the dive on Sunday, and raised a grand total of $93,418.

Mauer said the Montgomery Police plan several other fundraisers for the Special Olympics in the year between Polar Plunges. The Plunge is open to the public, she said, and anyone can join Team Montgomery for 2012. Contact Mauer for more information: call 630-897-8707, ext. 3243, or email mauer@ci.montgomery.il.us.

For more images from the Polar Plunge, check out our Viewfinder feature, coming Thursday.