Dozens participate in polar plunge at West Side Aquatic Center

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dozens of people took a polar plunge in Albuquerque Sunday and it was all for a good cause.

Some jumped into the deep end while others took the more adventurous way in down the slide. Either way, they all took an icy plunge into the outdoor pool at the West Mesa Aquatic Center in Albuquerque Sunday morning.

“It was refreshing, it was pretty nice,” said Daniel Stromberg, polar plunge participant.

The water temperature in the pool was about 45 degrees. The event fees help fund swimming lesson scholarships for kids – through the Shanta Strong Swim Fund.

"So back in December 2019 we lost one of our head guards from Highland Pool, her life was tragically taken away from us prematurely. And her mother we lost her back in 2019 and she was studying to become a teacher, that was her passion she loved teaching swimming lessons so in order to keep her legacy and her mission of becoming a teacher and education we developed the Shanta Strong Swim Fund."

Ten percent of the money raised will also be used to buy treats for the polar bears and penguins at the zoo.