Former Temple Terrace Community Director Takes Polar Plunge

Who would be crazy enough to plunge into an ice-cold lake in Detroit Lakes, Minn., in the middle of winter?

Well, Tom Mortenson, for one.

The former Temple Terrace community director is now the county administrator for Becker County, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, lived in Temple Terrace for more than 25 years, raising three children in the community.

Every year for the last 17 years, 200 people brave the frigid waters of Detroit Lakes, 40 miles east of Fargo, N.D., to participate in the Polar Plunge.

With temperatures around 10 degrees and a wind chill below zero, Mortenson made his third annual jump this year as part of the Noon Rotary Team. Among those watching his intrepid jump were his wife and daughter, Shawn Alvarez, accompanied by her husband and three children.

Mortenson and fellow Rotarians raised more than $1,000 for the local Boys & Girls Club by diving into the freezing water. 

"The plunge is a unique experience that chills your whole body, but warms your heart knowing that you are helping others," said Mortenson.

And, yes, Mortenson is planning to do it again next year.