ComEd Employees Plunge into Lake Michigan’s Frozen Water for Special Olympics
Published: March 2, 2015
CHICAGO (Feb. 28, 2015) — The cold, frigid waters of Lake Michigan won’t be a match for hundreds of ComEd employees as they take the plunge during the company’s largest volunteer event of the year. ComEd employees, joined by their family members and friends, are expected to jump into Lake Michigan in support of the 15th annual Polar Plunge on Sunday, March 1.
Hosted by Special Olympics Chicago at Chicago’s North Avenue Beach, the Polar Plunge fundraiser encourages participants to run into Lake Michigan and benefits approximately 5,000 athletes from Special Olympics Chicago.
The “ComEd Coolers” team, which is being led into the water by Super Bowl Champ and Chicago Bear Otis Wilson, has already donated $132,000 for this year’s Polar Plunge, with fundraising and recruitment efforts continuing until Sunday morning. Many members of the “ComEd Coolers” team plan on adding to the freezing adventure by dressing up in costume for the event.
“ComEd and our employees are proud to volunteer and show their support for a great organization like Special Olympics Chicago. Our first plunge was in 2012 with a goal of having 30 employees participate, and it quickly grew into our largest volunteer event of the year,” said Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd President and CEO. “ComEd is dedicated to its communities and we now count participation in the hundreds and its team is honored to be a part of this great event to bring visibility and awareness to Special Olympics Chicago and the wonderful athletes it supports.”
This year’s Polar Plunge is expected to feature actor and Lake Forest native, Vince Vaughn.
Special Olympics Chicago estimates more than 4,000 plungers will participate this year and raise approximately $1 million. The exact amount collected won’t be known until a few weeks after the plunge. All plungers are required to raise a minimum of $150 to jump into Lake Michigan.
The Polar Plunge funds are used by Special Olympics Chicago to support year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
ComEd has a strong tradition of engagement in programs and initiatives administered by local nonprofit organizations and institutions. ComEd employees serve on the boards of more than 90
nonprofit agencies and educational institutions, and can be found throughout the year volunteering with organizations making a difference in the communities where we live and work.
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About ComEd
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with approximately 7.8 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.