A bunch of hardy souls, often dressed in costumes, have plunged into the chilly waters of Badger Lake at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park every year at around this time.

To many, this may seem like insanity. But this bit of craziness has a serious purpose – raising money to support Special Olympics Iowa.

This year’s version of the event, called BRRRutal Polar Plunge, has, like just about everything else, been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The lake water will undoubtedly be nice and cold. But having a large number of people all together is a bad idea at a time when social distancing is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Special Olympics Iowa and local law enforcement agencies, which have participated in the plunge for 12 years, came up with a solution.

That solution calls for everyone who wants to participate to get wet and cold on their own, then post videos or photos of them doing so on the polar plunge Facebook page. The options for getting wet and cold include ice baths and getting hosed down.

When all is said and done, some daring souls will get soaked, money will be generated for Special Olympics Iowa, and the chance of spreading COVID-19 will be reduced.

To find out more or get registered go to classy.org/campaign/brrrutal-polar-plunge/c305014.

Those who want to do this have until Saturday to get the icy deed done.

We applaud Special Olympics Iowa, the Fort Dodge Police Department, the Webster County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility for going forward with this innovative and fun way to support the 16,500 intellectually disabled athletes who compete in the statewide games.