Photos: 30+ People Who Were Psyched To Jump In The Lake Saturday For Annual Polar Plunge

By Rachel Cromidas in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 30, 2017 5:49PM

A couple hundred people turned out despite Saturday's dreary weather to take the 16th annual Polar Plunge into frigid Lake Michigan.

The event, hosted by the Lakeview Polar Bear Club, has raised over $300,000 over the years for families in need of help paying medical expenses. Our photographer Tyler LaRiviere caught the polar plungers in action as they ran from Oak Street Beach into the water.

Mambo Guzman, a first-time plunger, told him it was exhilarating, but also painfully cold. "Nothing can prepare you for when the water hits." If you missed this polar plunge and that description doesn't dissuade you, another local organization, Special Olympics Chicago, is hosting one on March 5.