2026 Polar Fest Plunge
Chillin’ for the Children – 2026 marks 30 years of supporting youth at Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes through the Polar Fest Plunge!
February 21, 2026
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Chillin’ for the Children
Our Goal
Top Teams
Frosty Funk
Raised $1500 – The Arctic All-Star
Raise $1250 – Ice Breaker Badge
Raised $1000 – Chill Champ
Raised $500 – Frozen 500 Club Badge
Raise $100 – First Splash
Arctic Hero Badge – 30 Unique Donors
Snowball Starter Badge – 20 Unique Donors
Cool Connector – 10 Unique Donors
Lakeshirts
Raised $1500 – The Arctic All-Star
Raise $1250 – Ice Breaker Badge
Raised $1000 – Chill Champ
Raised $500 – Frozen 500 Club Badge
Raise $100 – First Splash
Arctic Hero Badge – 30 Unique Donors
Snowball Starter Badge – 20 Unique Donors
Cool Connector – 10 Unique Donors
MKOB JUMP SQUAD
Raised $1500 – The Arctic All-Star
Raise $1250 – Ice Breaker Badge
Raised $1000 – Chill Champ
Raised $500 – Frozen 500 Club Badge
Raise $100 – First Splash
Arctic Hero Badge – 30 Unique Donors
Snowball Starter Badge – 20 Unique Donors
Cool Connector – 10 Unique Donors
Top Individuals
That Midwestern Mom
2026 Polar Fest Plunge
Raised $1500 – The Arctic All-Star
Raise $1250 – Ice Breaker Badge
Raised $1000 – Chill Champ
Raised $500 – Frozen 500 Club Badge
Raise $100 – First Splash
Arctic Hero Badge – 30 Unique Donors
Snowball Starter Badge – 20 Unique Donors
Cool Connector – 10 Unique Donors
In Honor of Ridge Scolley
2026 Polar Fest Plunge
Raised $1500 – The Arctic All-Star
Raise $1250 – Ice Breaker Badge
Raised $1000 – Chill Champ
Raised $500 – Frozen 500 Club Badge
Raise $100 – First Splash
Arctic Hero Badge – 30 Unique Donors
Snowball Starter Badge – 20 Unique Donors
Cool Connector – 10 Unique Donors
Cara Frank
2026 Polar Fest Plunge
Raised $1500 – The Arctic All-Star
Raise $1250 – Ice Breaker Badge
Raised $1000 – Chill Champ
Raised $500 – Frozen 500 Club Badge
Raise $100 – First Splash
Arctic Hero Badge – 30 Unique Donors
Snowball Starter Badge – 20 Unique Donors
Cool Connector – 10 Unique Donors
Sign up
Sign up to plunge solo or build a team of fellow thrill-seekers (and grab a co-captain—every Skipper needs a Gilligan, right?). Set goals for team size and fundraising—because this is a peer-to-peer fundraiser, where every teammate helps spread the word and bring in pledges. The more people you involve, the bigger the impact for local youth at the Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes—especially in our 30th year!
Motivate
Bring the energy—and the impact! Each plunger must raise a minimum of $100, but don’t stop there. The more you raise, the more youth you support—and the more cool incentives you can earn!
Start planning your costume, rally your team, and keep the momentum going by tracking your progress. Stay connected, earn badges, and push toward your goal together.
Check out the leaderboard to see who’s making waves and follow the Club’s mission in action at facebook.com/boysgirlsdl.
Plunge
Chill for the Children by taking the Polar Fest Plunge—and be proud of your bravery and generosity! Get ready for a fun day… the colder, the better! 😁
Bring A Team
The Polar Fest Plunge isn’t just for individuals! In fact, most of our Plungers form teams and get family members, friends, coworkers or other groups of people to bond while showing support for Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes.
Remember, everyone on the team is responsible to raise a minimum of $100 each – I.E. 5 team mates = $500 minimum raised.
Members of a team must have the captain create a team before individual members join the team. If you would like someone at the Club to handle this, please email development@dlclub.org.
Some of Our 2025 Teams
A little competition never hurt anyone, right?
Team captains—ready to make a splash and stir up some fun? Challenge a similar group (like a school club, church group, service organization, or local business) to some friendly competition for a great cause!
See who can raise the most pledges for the Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes, and compete for bragging rights and the traveling Polar Fest Plunge trophy to display all winter long.
It’s all in good fun—and all for local youth. If you’ve got a challenge in the works, let us know! We may be able to help promote it and cheer you on.
By the way—if you do spark some friendly competition, let us know what you are doing—we might be able to help you promote it!
RIVALRIES & RESOURCES
Build your Badge Wall’
Earn Bragging Rights. Build Your Badge Wall.
$100
$500
$1000
$1250
$1500
Team
10 Donors
20 Donors
30 Donors
Prove You’re Plunge Royalty — One Badge at a Time
This year’s guest is colder than Colorado and crazier than a basement remodel…
Taylor Calmus AKA ‘Dude Dad’ is a Colorado based video creator who has become a viral sensation through his comedy videos. A father of 4 kids and a husband to his wife Heidi, Taylor taps into the relatability of parenthood to help parents laugh at their own struggles.
If we collectively raise $100,000 to support the youth of Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes, our special guest will take the plunge alongside all the other brave souls!
If plungers hit certain fundraising levels, there will be opportunities to earn passes to see the special guest the evening of the Polar Fest Plunge at the Historic Holmes Theatre: reserved seating to the show AND VIP Meet & Greet passes prior to the show at the Historic Holmes Theatre
*VIP Meet & Greet passes are EXCLUSIVE to Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes Polar Fest Plunge friends!
Individual Incentives
These incentives are for individuals ONLY, so if you register as part of a team, be sure you know what your individual contribution is! At each $$$ LEVEL raised in pledges; you earn that prize! I.E. RAISE $1,000 & EARN THE FIRST 3 PRIZES!
Limited tickets available at the $1,000 and $1,500 levels - they will be given in the order plungers reach their incentive levels. The sooner you raise and submit, the better your incentive options.
Benefitting
Get all incentives in one spot!
VIP Meet & Greet
The Traveling Trophy
Costume Contest
1st
$250
2nd
$150
3rd
$100
Some of Our 2025 Costumes
Why Plunge
Empowering Young Minds for a Brighter Tomorrow
Over 400 youth ages 3 – 15 attend the Club each year and get connected with tools to build the following skills: academic success, healthy lifestyles, life and workforce readiness, and character and leadership. YOU help make that possible by taking the plunge or making a pledge!
Thank You Sponsors
Plunge Checklist
Click the image above to enlarge
Dates to remember
There are currently no events.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Polar Fest is the best winter celebration in the North! Visit polarfestdl.com to find out about all the other fun events that are happening. The day of the Plunge is super-special because it is jam-packed with all kinds of fun polar-ific stuff to do! You’ll want to come early and stay late!
YES! This year they can count toward your online fundraiser if you turn them in/mail them to the Club. Once the Club receives those donations, a Club staff will enter your cash/check donations into the online system so your online total reflects the accurate amount that you have raised. How GREAT is that! Then, you’ll know how your team is doing compared to other teams.
If this happens, you can turn in your pledges after the event. However, we encourage you to turn in all pledges at check-in so you get credit for them with the incentives we offer. Only pledges turned in before or at check-in are eligible for individual or team incentives.
YES – you do need to go through and sign up again, however, we are already working on a solution for this for future years.
We appreciate your understanding!
Yes, when you register (online this year), everyone must sign a release of liability (minors must have their parent or guardian sign—no exceptions).
Yes—make any checks out to Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes.
All proceeds raised during the Polar Fest Plunge go directly to our local Boys & Girls Club in Detroit Lakes. All funds stay local and benefit the hundreds of local youth who are served both in-person and through outreach events and activities hosted by the Club.
We set an all-time record in 2025 with 254 Plungers!
Yes! Every Plunger will get an official Polar Fest Plunge t -shirt. Check out more on the incentives page.
As you exit the sauna to make your Plunge, a volunteer will take your dry clothes bag and towel and keep it safe for you so that you can retrieve it immediately after your Plunge.
A tentative order will be available when entering the warming tent – this tentative order is for larger groups. If you are solo or a smaller group, plunge volunteers will help you get lined up and get ready to Plunge. We cannot “reserve” a spot for you, but no worries—you'll get your chance to splash!
The top three best costumes (individual or group) are awarded a cash prize.
There are excellent volunteers from our water rescue dive team to give you assistance if you need it.
Garbage cans will be available outside of the changing trailers to place any unwanted items in.
Detroit Lakes has lots to offer, including great hotels, resorts, restaurants, shopping, and recreation! For information on lodging, dining, entertainment, and other travel necessities, visit the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce website at www.visitdetroitlakes.com.
Minimum pledge of $100!
No, you do not. Children are more than welcome to join this event, however, the decision is left to the sole discretion of a parent or guardian. A parent or guardian of someone under the age of 18 must be PRESENT at the plunge and accompanying the plunger AT ALL TIMES – no exceptions. All plungers must be able to swim independently and physically fit to participate.
Raising pledges online is simpler than ever! And, this year, they are linked to a Club’s account so we can see what you’ve raised online as long as you sign up to collect pledges online through bgcdl.org’s polar fest plunge registration link. If you raised pledges through another online site, you must print out a list of the pledges made on your behalf online. Bring this report to check-in along with any check or cash pledges you have collected so you get credit for everything you’ve raised!
Donations made online will automatically generate a receipt for the donor’s pledge. If one of your pledgers writes a check or issues cash to you for their pledge and they want a receipt, please make sure you collect their name and address and accurately record their donation on your pledge sheet. Indicate on the pledge sheet next to their name that they would like a receipt mailed to them and Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes will send them one directly.
Our first concern at our Plunge is the safety of everyone involved—our Plungers, volunteers, and spectators. We have emergency medical personnel and law enforcement on-site throughout our event, in addition to a water rescue dive team in the ice hole at all times. All Plungers are required to sign and submit a release of liability at event check-in stating that you understand the conditions and potential risks involved in participating in our event. Please read through the release thoroughly before participating. If you are under the age of 18, your parent or legal guardian must sign the release. No exceptions will be made.
Bring as many friends as you’d like! Team up, have a competition, put together a skit! Our judges and audience love to be entertained. However, please leave Fido home. His reaction to the cold water can be an issue for our dive team—whose first responsibility is to our two-legged Plungers.
No – come dressed and ready to go! There are not changing areas designated until AFTER you have taken the plunge and then there are separate facilities that are designated for men, women, gender neutral, and families. Please ask a volunteer if you are unsure where to go.
Make sure you are in the staging tent no later than 1:00 p.m. (or whenever the line clears up) and you have your dry clothes bag, towel, etc. with you.
Yes! We’ve had everything from the Rocky theme song to the wedding march played as creative groups have ‘strutted their stuff’ for the crowd before their Plunge. If you or your group would like a special song to be played as you make your appearance on the ice, submit this form before February 13th “ Polar Fest Plunge – Fundamental Technologies LLC
He will have your music ready for you the day of the Plunge!
All prizes are awarded at the end of the Plunge as soon as our judges have had time to determine the winners. You don’t have to be present to win, but you will want to stick around to claim your prize!
The Plunge will take place as long as it is safe for the Plungers and our volunteers in the water and on the ice. Extremely cold weather, high winds, or a bone-chilling wind-chill factor are examples of conditions that would prevent the event from happening. If there is a change to the schedule, we will do our best to notify all of the pre-registered Plungers by email, post information at bgcdl.org, on our Club Facebook page, and broadcast the news through local media. We would still plan to hold the event—but we may host it at a different venue and/or host it at a later date/virtually.
There is lots of free parking nearby—in the Pavilion parking lot and on Washington, Lake, Minnesota, and Summit Avenues. Please note that West Lake Drive will be closed from Lake Avenue to Minnesota Avenue from 6 a.m. until about 3 p.m. the day of the Polar Fest Plunge.
Contact the Club
218-847-5700, ext. 6 or development@dlclub.org