Mercer Island PD Polar Plunges in Lake Sammamish for Special Olympics

Nine employees in the Mercer Island Police Department (officers and Records staff), participated in the Special Olympics Polar Plunge on Sunday, March 17.

The entire event raised more than $27,000 for Special Olympics Washington, according to the Redmond Police Department, which organized the event. The event was in Lake Sammamish at Redmond's Idylwood Beach Park Saturday and broke records for plungers and funds raised, Redmond PD reported.

"This was the first year our department participated in the Polar Plunge event and it was an instant hit with the participants.  We plan on having a bigger team (yes, I will be a plunger) and raising the fundraising bar next year," wrote Mercer Island Police spokeswoman Cmdr. Leslie Burns. The department is already planning fundraising efforts, which the local community will see in the summer, for the 2014 event, she said.

This year's participating employees were Sgt. Brian Noel, Records Specialist Jolene Maggard, Chief Ed Holmes, PSO Anna Ormsby, Officer Michael Vickers, Records Specialist Janelle Timm, Detective Todd Roggenkamp, Corporal David Herzog and SRO Detective Chad Schumacher.

Redmond police spokesman Jim Bove said the fundraising this year broke previous records.

"But most importantly we set a record of at least 115 plungers and right now we are over $27,000 in donations but we still have much that hasn’t come in (matching gifts from businesses, etc.)," Bove said.

The previous record for Redmond for both was in 2012, when 73 people took the plunge just over $11,000 was raised, Bove said. All money goes to Special Olympics Washington.

Business owners and/or individuals are interested in supporting the event and teaming up with Mercer Island Police Department in the event next year, can Mercer Island Police Support Officer, Anna Ormsby, at 206-275-7932 or Anna.Ormsby@mercergov.org.