CARBONDALE (WSIL) -- More than 150 people ran into the frigid waters of SIU's Campus Lake as part of this year's polar plunge.
SIU's 2020 Polar Plunge gets teams cold, all as a way to raise money for special olympic athletes across the state.
Several local businesses sponsored Saturday's event, which has raised more than 22-million dollars over the course of 21 years.
News 3's Danny Valle and Meteorologist Jacie Brianne were just two among the dozens up for the challenge of facing the freeze.
"They said it was going to be warm right before we got in. They said it was 68-degrees, but I think they lied - because, it was really cold. It was worth it, though; it was a lot of fun," says Jacie, while Danny adds a similar notion:
"It was definitely worth every bit of it. It was colder than what they said which is what I expected. It's okay, though. It's all for a good cause, and I encourage everyone to do it; it'll wake you up."
Kimberly Taley, Regional Co-Director of plunges, says that, despite the water being cold, the spirits are always high among everyone.
If you missed Saturday's Polar Plunge, there's another taking place at Rend Lake next Saturday.