Take a chilly ‘Polar Plunge' in Big Bear Lake and support Special Olympics

BIG BEAR LAKE, in March, can be cold. Quite cold, in fact, the sort of throw-on-another-few-layers kind of cold, a chilliness that can icily suggest that the area is somewhere much further north than a spot that isn't, all told, far from the temperate clime of Los Angeles. And that's why winter lovers do obsess over it: The sublime skiing, the terrific tubing, the beautiful bald eagles that raise their babies in snowy nests, through snowflakes and sunbeams (hey, Jackie and Shadow). It's also a place where people who want to do something lovely dash into the water during a time of year that is most definitely not balmy. Look to the annual Polar Plunge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Inland Empire, for uplifting evidence that humans who submerge themselves, quite willingly if briefly, to give back, help out, and pledge their support.

MARCH 29... is the 2025 date for the plunge and registration is open for the event, a gleeful gathering that is all about "freezin' for a reason!" It isn't all about plunging, of course — family fun is afoot at the event — but the focus, whether you go in the lake or donate from afar, is totally about aiding an excellent cause. Along with sports opportunities, the Special Olympics provide "... free health screenings, nutrition and wellness programs, and leadership opportunities," opportunities that "... give athletes with intellectual disabilities a healthier lifestyle and brighter future." Find out how to dash into the lake on the last Saturday in March for the plunge-tastic, good-spirited party or ways to contribute from wherever you are.