Lady Gaga, Taylor Kinney Take Polar Plunge In Chicago A Second Time For Charity
Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney attended the Polar Plunge for the second time at North Avenue Beach in Chicago on Sunday, March 6. For the second year in a row, the couple plunged into freezing cold Lake Michigan water along with other celebrities to help raise money for the athletes of the Special Olympics.
Kinney, of NBC’s Chicago Fire, and Gaga jumped into frigid water that was about 36 degrees Fahrenheit on a day with the temperature hovering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the Chicago Tribune reported. Nearly 6,000 people joined the couple in taking a dip in the lake.
Couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for @ladygaga & @TaylorKinney111 to #PolarPlunge pic.twitter.com/jHdCrvwnJt
— Ashlee Rezin (@Ashlee_Rezin) March 6, 2016
Kinney was jokingly asked by his fiancée, “Can I get your Blackhawks hat wet? Or am I going to get in trouble?”
Lady Gaga, 29-years-old, was dressed in a black t-shirt with black leggings, black sneakers, and a white baseball cap while Kinney wore black shorts, a black Chicago Fire hoodie and Blackhawks cap, according to the Daily Mail. At the last minute, Kinney, 34-years-old, stripped off his hoodie before hitting the water.
Kinney’s Chicago Fire co-stars, actors from shows Chicago Med and Chicago P.D., and Today Show weatherman Al Roker also joined Kinney and Gaga in taking the Polar Plunge.
Gaga, who has recently blown fans away with her performances at the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards, and the Oscars, tweeted about the Polar Plunge, “You can’t have empathy without pain. Get FREEZING cold so they can feel your warmth. #SpecialOlympics #PolarPlunge.” She included a photo of herself posing with a sponsor dressed as a polar bear.
You can’t have empathy without pain. Get FREEZING cold so they can feel your warmth. #SpecialOlympics #PolarPlunge pic.twitter.com/uq7abh21Cx
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) March 6, 2016
Kinney and Gaga spent about a minute in the lake. After emerging from the water with Kinney, Gaga gave high fives to the volunteers handing out towels and said, “I’m so proud of all the kids who are here. This is so awesome and inspiring. This is no big deal. We’re just happy to be there for them.”
Popsugar reports Lady Gaga shared on Snapchat as well as Instagram the experience she and Taylor Kinney had at the Polar Plunge event.
On Instagram Gaga wrote, “We love the city of Chicago and the Polar Plunge for The Special Olympics. These men and women are brave and powerful. Me and Taylor love getting cold in your honor every year.”
As mentioned earlier, Kinney and Gaga also participated in the Polar Plunge together last year. Kinney gave Gaga a piggyback ride as he did this year.
According to a spokeswoman for the Special Olympics, about $1.5 million was raised at this year’s event the Chicago Tribune reports. This year marked the 16th annual Polar Plunge.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel attended the event but did not jump in the lake.
Emanuel tweeted, “The Polar Plunge is quintessential Chicago. It is a great event that supports an even greater cause.”
Every year, the event gains more publicity and more celebrities decide to participate. Luckily for participants, this year was mild for winter in Chicago. In the past, huge chunks of ice has had to be broken up to allow people to jump into the lake. While the water was definitely not warm, at least there wasn’t ice in the way.
#PolarPlunge #Chicago #SpecialOlympics pic.twitter.com/7IHfVkj0cW
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) March 6, 2016
Do you think Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga will return to the Polar Plunge for a third time next year?
[Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]
