When Maple Grove native and Minnesota National Guard 1st Lt. Ryan Doliber learned that he was going to be deployed last summer, he realized that his deployment would also force him to miss one of his favorite annual traditions.

Every winter, Doliber, along with hundreds of others, jumps into icy Weaver Lake for a good cause—to support Special Olympics Minnesota through Maple Grove’s Polar Bear Plunge.

Though Doliber will be thousands of miles away, this year will be no different.

That’s because Doliber and Master Sgt. Brian Newcomer are putting together a “solar” bear plunge in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. And in order to feel connected to the community a world away, it will be on the same day as Maple Grove’s plunge.

“There’s no reason why I should have to miss out on the polar plunge just because I’m going to be deployed to Kuwait,” Doliber said. “It’s become one of my annual traditions, and now a way for my buddies and I to connect with a great cause in our home state.”

On Feb. 4, Doliber and other National Guard members will run a 5K race and dive into a small decontamination blivet filled with water and ice. The only thing that will be missing from Doliber’s event is the warm hot tub provided to Maple Grove plungers after they jump.

“I personally believe the work that [Special Olympics] does is very important and needs the support of the community,” Doliber said. “They impact the lives of young people and their families in such a tremendous way that I can’t help but want to play my part. Hopefully when I return, I can become even more involved with their organization.”

Maple Grove’s support for the Special Olympics Minnesota started in 2008 when Maple Grove Ambassador Stephanie Plant helped bring the plunge to the community. One year earlier, Plant plunged in Burnsville’s event and felt invigorated by the experience. 

“Knowing that there was such a great infrastructure for these fundraising plunges in Minnesota made me wonder why there wasn’t a plunge closer to Maple Grove,” Plant said. “When I spoke with people at the Maple Grove Police and Fire departments, I was thrilled to find that there was already interest and planning going on.” 

The first year of Maple Grove’s event, and the first year Doliber plunged, was successful with 203 plungers and $43,176 raised. As the event grew, so did the fundraising dollars. Last year, Maple Grove’s plunge raked in $160,620, making it the fifth largest plunge in the state. 

“Special Olympics Minnesota is an organization that people really want to get behind and support,” said Alexandra West, current director of the Maple Grove Ambassadors. “When [the Ambassadors] heard that a former Maple Grove plunger would be plunging with us from Kuwait, we were so excited. It shows the kind of support that our community gives to Special Olympics.”