A toe dip was enough for some people as opposed to the full plunge many others opted for.

The space odyssey themed Polar Plunge kicked off at 10am March 18 at Zephyr Cove Resort.

The annual event raises money for the 23,000 Special Olympics athletes in Northern California and Nevada. More than $150,000 was raised on Saturday – a record.

Hundreds of people showed up in an array of costumes. Some went in fully clothed, others had traditional swimwear. Most had an expression of being speechless – like the cold water literally took their breath away.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report