The 2026 Penguin Plunge is set to be held on January 31st at Skydive Chicago. Check-in begins at 11 am, with the Plunge running from 1 pm to 3pm. The Penguin Plunge is an event that celebrates Wishes that have been granted already and raises funds for future Wishes. It is held by Make-A-Wish Illinois, a local branch of the national organization, for children with critical illnesses in our community. This iteration of the Plunge also celebrates Make-A-Wish Illinois’ 40th birthday.
We had the opportunity to speak with the founder of the Penguin Plunge (first started in 2012), Linda Johnson, and Gift Officer Ashley White about the event. White has been working at Make-A-Wish for about 13 years. Johnson has been a Wish Granter for about 18 years.
First, they spoke on how the event has changed throughout the years.
“It started off with Linda as a Wish Granter, or a volunteer, starting it to help raise awareness and funds for local wish kids and then she had morphed it into this amazing community fundraiser” said White.
As with most things during the time, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down group gatherings, so the Penguin Plunge was held digitally (participants sent videos of themselves taking the plunge). White and Johnson mentioned that after this time, they saw a drop in participation.
“Our goal is to really bring it back to the level that Linda had it.”
Ashley gave us a rundown of last year’s Plunge:
“Last year, we had 170 Plungers and it raised $115, 000, which for us, building it back is what we were really excited about.”
Linda stated that at one point, the event has had up to 300 participants and raised around $185,000 for granting Wishes. The participants for the Plunge are truly the heart of the event, which makes their work all that more important.
“Every Wish costs money, and these wishes are so life-changing to a family into a child with a diagnosis,” White said, “That’s the main goal… keep on granting these impactful wishes, especially in this community.”
In terms of participants, there are many returning teams. Some are members of the community that participate for their own family members. There are even teams and families who have taken the Plunge every year. White and Johnson mentioned that seeing these teams return year after year strikes a chord with them – You can see the impact that Make-A-Wish has for these families.
Ashley spoke more on her work for the Plunge with Linda’s guidance.
“The blueprint that Linda was able to hand over to me that has streamlined it… Not starting an event from scratch, and all these people remember how wonderful the event was. So they were excited to come back to in a capacity. In fact, in the day, they considered this more fun than their Super Bowl celebrations!”
And there is plenty of fun to be had at the Penguin Plunge! Ashley and Linda gave us a sneak peak of what will be at the Plunge.
Spectators and Plungers can expect some entertainment in the form of a live DJ, balloon artist, and more! Skydive Chicago will be selling food and beverages as well. There will also be a special activity and birthday treat to celebrate Make-A-Wish Illinois’ 40th anniversary.
Ashley gave us a description of the atmosphere that spectators and Plungers can experience for themselves at the event:
“It’s just a fun high energy couple hours because people are doing this, extreme jump, and then a lot of the teams, go on and celebrate for the rest of the day.”
At the end of the day, the Penguin Plunge is focused around family and community. Who wouldn’t want to celebrate taking the Plunge for a good cause?
Be on the lookout for more news and updates on the 2026 Penguin Plunge from the OVC! You can find the event information for the Plunge below, or using this link.
This event through Make-A-Wish® celebrates the wishes that have already been granted, while raising funds for future wishes. It’s a family-friendly event powered by wish families, volunteers, donors and friends.
Those who participate can help bring the life-changing impact of a wish to children in our community who are battling life-threatening medical conditions.
Register using this link
Registration Fees: $100 to plunge
T-Shirt information: An event t-shirt will be given to all participants
Age Restrictions: Anyone 10 and under will be asked to run into the pond or plunge in the baby penguin pool.
Event Schedule: Registration: 11:00 AM | Start: 1:00 PM
Event Start Time: 1:00 pm
Event End Time: 3:00 pm
Parking Info: There will be plowed parking lots
