Members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity held their annual Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Saint Francis on March 10. The event raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

TKE brothers had visited local businesses and organizations in the weeks leading up to the plunge, seeking sponsorships.

The attendees gathered around a fire to keep warm after donning their plunging trunks. A group picture followed and then TKE brothers began jumping in the lake amid yelling and shouting. After plunging, they ran out of the lake in a collective mess and headed straight to their vehicles.

“We’ve raised about $4,500,” said TKE brother Chase Dill, a sophomore from Ebensburg. “It is for the children – it is something special.”

The $4,500 equals the amount the fraternity raised last year in the 2016 Polar Bear Plunge. The charity event dates back to 2005.