This past Sunday I had the great opportunity to be a part of the 17th Annual Polar Plunge in Chicago benefitting Chicago’s Special Olympics. If you have never heard about this amazing event, well let me fill you in! People from all over raise money for the Chicago Special Olympics and then plunge into the freezing water of Lake Michigan in just a bathing suit or in a crazy costume. This year Johnsonville partnered with former pro linebacker Brian Urlacher and sponsored the 2017 Chicago Polar Plunge, so shivering participants could warm up with hot Johnsonville #FirstBrats of the season, fresh off the burners of their Big Taste Grill.
Chicago celebrity, and former Bears player, Brian Urlacher was manning the Big Taste Grill which is a 20-foot tall, 65-foot long grill that was set up right off the beach on Lake Michigan. It cooks 2,500 brats an hour or 750 bratwurst at a time on its 40 square feet of grilling surface…now that’s a grill!!!
Spark the Season: Johnsonville and Brian Urlacher at the Chicago Polar Plunge
Brian also spent some time with some of the amazing Special Olympics athletes!
And of course he spent lots of time with his fans taking lots and lots of pictures! He even came down from grilling to hand out brats to the crowd! 🙂
I was lucky enough to get a photo with him too! Yes, he is tall and yes, I am short!!!
My kids and my husband also got a picture as well as a brat from Brian! My husband was so excited as he is a big Bears fan!!!
The Chicago Polar Plunge is truly an amazing event that raises so much money for the Chicago Special Olympics. This year they had Dax Shepard as the celebrity who ran first into the freezing water of Lake Michigan. Other celebrities included the casts of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. With the winds that come off of the lake I was cold and I had on a thick winter coat and hat, so I give props to everyone who jumped into that cold water for such a good cause!!!
Since the “dark period” of winter is over, it’s time to “spark the season” by firing up your grills and 2017 Chicago Polar Plunge  was the perfect place to get the grilling season started!
You can enter to win Johnsonville’s #FirstBrats Contest (the Contest begins at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on March 8, 2017 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on May 15, 2017) in the following ways:
- Online: During the Contest Period, entrants may visit www.FirstBratsContest.com, enter his/her email address, and follow the instructions to register by entering all information requested on the registration form. After an entrant has registered, he/she may follow the instructions to upload one (1) photo of his/her “first grill of the season”.
- Social Media: During the Contest Period, entrants may (a) log in to his/her Twitter or Instagram account, follow @Johnsonville on Twitter or @jvillesausage on Instagram (if he/she does not already), and post a Tweet/post that includes one (1) photo of his/her “first grill of the season” and the hashtag “#FirstBratsContest” or (b) log in to his/her Facebook account, visit Sponsor’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/johnsonville/, and post a comment responding to Sponsor’s Invitation Post that includes a photo of his/her “first grill of the season” and the hashtag “#FirstBratsContest.
Following the Contest period, all eligible entries received during the Contest period will be judged by a panel of qualified judges selected by Johnsonville. The judges will score the entries according to the following weighted criteria: creativity, photo quality and relevance to the Contest theme (e.g., entry captures the passion for grilling even if the weather is not ideal for grilling).
- Contest Period: The Contest begins at 12:00 PM Eastern Time on March 8, 2017 and ends at 11:59:59 PM ET on May 15, 2017.
- There are two (2) ways to enter:
- One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive snow removal or lawn care for a year, a value of $1,500.
- Fourteen (14) First Prize winners will receive a $100 grocery coupon code and a Johnsonville prize pack.
- Limit one (1) prize per person
- There is a limit of one (1) entry per entry method per person per calendar day during the Contest period (i.e., an entrant may receive one entry each via www.FirstBratsContest.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for a total of five (5) entries per day.
- Official Contest rules can be found at www.FirstBratsContest.com.
Good luck!!!
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Love,
Maggie
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
