INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – On February 17, the high temperature for the day was a chilling 29 degrees, but even so, seven men from the UW – Platteville Chapter made the icy plunge into the freezing water of Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin.

The men collected all donations through the Polar Plunge website. They utilized social media heavily in order to get their message out to their family, friends, and community. In addition, the alumni brothers were a great help with not only the event but by their donations, and many family members graciously donated. Through this event, a total of about $350,000 was raised for Special Olympics, roughly $1,400 was from Sig Tau’s donations.

“It awesome to watch the brothers jump into freezing water, but it is even more awesome to see all the people coming together to support such a great cause,” Chapter President, Garrett Hefter said. “We would like to thank everyone that donated this year for supporting Special Olympics with us, and are excited to jump in again next year!”

The men of UW – Platteville weren’t the only Sig Taus to make the splash for Special Olympics on February 17. The men of the Beta Theta chapter at Purdue are no strangers to Polar Plunge success. Over the past few years, the chapter continues to be the group that raises the most money and has the most participants.

Purdue Chapter President Kyle Higgins, says their success comes from the culture of personal accountability the chapter has fostered, and the member’s commitment to the cause, “At the end of the day, everyone joined Sig Tau because they believe in the six Principles equally, and truly, being a good citizen is just as important to us as having a tight-knit brotherhood. When everyone holds their own, the burden falls less on the leadership and the leadership can find new creative ways to raise.”

For the men of the chapter, there is the expectation that every man raises $75 in order to participate in the plunge. The Noble Man who is the top fundraiser even receives a suit for formal. The chapter begins their fundraising efforts in the fall semester and focuses on gaining support and donations from other members of the Greek community at Purdue. This is accomplished through a 5k event – The Glow Run, tabling on campus and working with different organizations on campus.

The plunge itself proves to be a chapter-bonding and crowd favorite event. Right before the men take the icy plunge, the chapter gathers together to celebrate their hard work, interact with the community, and pump themselves up to dive into the cold water. This year, the men participated in a pre-plunge pull-up contest with a Marine Corps Officer, chanted their favorite Sig Tau chants, and dressed up in beach-themed attire.

The Beta Theta Chapter proudly raised over $37,000 during this year’s Polar Plunge.

    

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ABOUT SIGMA TAU GAMMA FRATERNITY
Founded at the University of Central Missouri on June 28, 1920, the organization will commemorate its 100th Anniversary in 2020. With a presence on 84 campuses in 31 states, our membership includes 3,000 undergraduate men and 61,000 living alumni. The Headquarters, which is home to the Fraternity, Foundation, and WPN Housing Company, is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, 12 miles from the center of downtown. Visit https://sigtau.org for additional information.