Knox College students ran through freezing water and sub-freezing air, as they helped raise funds for Galesburg's annual Polar Plunge, Feb. 23, 2014 at Lake Storey. In all, close to 300 participants raised more than $50,000 for Special Olympics of Illinois.

Knox organizations Alpha Sigma Alpha and Beta Theta Pi were among the leading fund-raising groups.

Members of Alpha Sigma Alpha raised more than $3,000, and the Knox chapter of Beta Theta Pi raised over $2,000.

For ASA member and Knox College senior Alyssa Gill, this year's plunge held special significance.

Gill explained on her fund-raising web page: "Since it's my final year at Knox... I need to go out with a bang! ... Two years ago when I sprained my ankle, I had one of my sorority sisters pour a bag of ice on me to simulate the experience, and it just wasn't the same..." Gill raised more than $1,000.

More from Galesburg's 2014 Polar Plunge. Full-screen and captions available in a set at the Knox College Flickr channel

More photos: Three years of Knox at the Polar Plunge of Galesburg