Make a splash at the 24th Annual Chicago Polar Plunge presented by Jackson!

The 24th Annual Chicago Polar Plunge presented by Jackson is less than two months away! Register now and join us at North Avenue Beach on March 3 for an iconic Chicago winter event. We'll be there with thousands of participants, plus friends, families, and celebrities to help Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities support Chicago’s athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Join us for great fun for a great cause!

Check out this year's fundraising incentives.

All participants who raise $200 or more receive a souvenir t-shirt and a towel at the event. We also have a great slate of additional prizes for anyone who raises $750 or more.

If you're a team captain you can kick your team into high gear with these exciting team incentives:

All teams that raise $20,000 or more are eligible to receive a 10x10 heated tent for their team members, family, and friends to join them at the Chicago Polar Plunge presented by Jackson!

Teams with 20 or more members are eligible to receive a bus to take their team to and from North Avenue Beach on March 3.

Join #TeamSpecialOChicago for the 2024 Chicago Marathon

Didn't make it into the Bank of America Chicago Marathon via their drawing? Don't worry! We have your spot! Join #TeamSpecialOChicago and you’ll receive a guaranteed spot, a refunded entry fee after raising the fundraising minimum, fundraising tips and toolkits, a discounted training program, and the best race day headquarters and cheering section at mile 25.5! Best of all, as part of #TeamSpecialOChicago, you'll be supporting Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities athletes all across Chicago! 

Athletes in Action

Our athletes have had a busy month with tons of exciting activities, classes, competitions, and events. Check out some highlights of their fun and accomplishments.

It's a new year, and that means it's time to feature the first artwork our talented athletes created for our 2024 calendar! The cover of this year's calendar is by Arturo Solis of Northside Learning Center and it is called Special Olympics Chicago. Arturo's bold colors showcase a gold medal and the red and blue Chicago flag. It is a perfect fit for the cover and a great way to start a year celebrating Chicago's athletes!

Our January artwork is called Cool Day, Cool Fun, Cool Friends by Francisco "Joey" Vega of Piotrowski Park. Joey's drawing shows all the fun of skiing on a snowy winter day! This picture is perfect for this month's ski training and competitions!