Hundreds take a cold river splash in Bend’s Polar Plunge for Special Olympics, top fundraising goal

(Update with no. of participants, amount raised)

Dozens of hardy souls ran into the ice-cold water of the Deschutes River at Riverbend Park on Saturday, a fun way to raise funds for Special Olympics Oregon.

A total of 300 plungers hit the water, with another 100 on hand to cheer them on. The event raised $45,000 for Special Olympics Oregon, topping their goal, a representative said.