Community Corner
Algonquin Police Officer to Enter Lake Michigan Every Hour for 24 Hours
Officer Josh Latina will be running into the frigid Lake Michigan water as part of the Illinois Torch Run Super Polar Plunge.
While most of us are staying dry inside, today at 2 p.m., 26-year-old Patrol Officer Josh Latina of the Algonquin Police Department will plunge into Lake Michigan. He’ll do the same thing an hour later at 3 p.m., and again every hour for 24 hours.
Latina is participating in the Super Polar Plunge at Northwestern University’s North Beach in Evanston. It is one of several events throughout the year that make up the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics.
“It’s a big event,” Latina said, “You do your best to sleep, but you only have 45 minutes at a time.”
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One of the biggest challenges is keeping warm throughout the event, Latina said.
“It’s a struggle… Around 2 a.m. it can get tiresome—the water is not exactly warm.”
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Participants in the Super Polar Plunge are required to enter the lake once per hour, every hour, for 24 hours. Last year the Polar Plunge rasied more than $100,000 for the Special Olympics.
This is Latina’s fifth year participating in the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run and his second year doing the Super Polar Plunge.
“I wanted to do something extra, something to help people out," Latina said. "The Special Olympics is definitely a worthy cause.”
During the event, each participant has one support person with them the entire night. The support person is responsible for making sure that the person plunging in the frigid water stays warm and healthy. When not plunging, participants and their supporters hang out in a large heated tent.
Latina said he has raised about $2,600. "Local businesses have been very supportive,” he said. Fitness 19, , , and are among some of the businesses that donated.
The Algonquin Police Department has a yearly goal of raising $15,000 dollars for the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run through fundraising events like the Polar Plunge, Tip-A-Cop night and trivia nights.
The money goes directly to the Special Olympics and provides training and competition opportunities in 19 sports for more than 22,000 Special Olympics Illinois athletes at no cost to the athletes or their families.
