CHICAGO (WLS) — Bagpipe players ushered in a cause with a purpose Saturday morning before nearly 100 people took turns plunging into a deep bucket of water.

The event was held at the Chicago Police Department’s District 22 station in Morgan Park, raising funds for Special Olympics Illinois.

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“I see firsthand the effect that it has on all the Special Olympic athletes and when they come home, or when my son comes home with a new medal, to see the pride that he was able to be part of a team and be able to compete and be able to be included in something,” District 22 CPD Cmdr. Brian Kinnane said.

For 26 years, the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge has helped thousands of athletes with Special Olympics Illinois, giving them access to year-round sports competitions and training, health and wellness initiatives, and leadership and personal development opportunities.

While there are different plunges across the state that the organization hosts, this event started locally in Chicago in Special Olympics Illinois Senior Director Melissa Garritano’s backyard five years ago.

“So it started off in my backyard in Mount Greenwood,” Garritano said. “We had a duck tank. We had the police officers from the 22nd district, and my daughter’s school, a lot of law enforcement. So we had a lot of parents with our kids, and it was just grown from there.”

Just last year, the event raised more than $2,400,000.

This year, organizers hoped for participants to dive a bit deeper into their pockets to help with their ongoing efforts.

“So, our hope is to continue to grow plungers like this,” Special Olympics Illinois President & CEO Peter Beale-DelVecchio said. “You know, 90 plungers today. You know, couple years from now, hopefully we’re at 180 plungers, and it just keeps doubling, years and years come, because it spreads awareness.”

“You know, oftentimes our athletes are different, and I think that we need to kind of continue to spread the word of inclusion and that everyone’s different and that’s okay,” Garritano said.